In a small study, intravenous mistletoe extract showed promise as a cancer therapy.
While the phase 1 trial was meant to evaluate the drug’s safety, researchers also documented improved quality of life and some disease control among study participants with advanced and treatment-resistant cancers.
Mistletoe extract, or ME, known as Helixor M, was studied in 21 patients with advanced and treatment-resistant cancers of various types. The phase 1 trial used dose escalation to determine the maximum dose that patients could safely tolerate. ME was delivered intravenously thrice weekly until disease progression or until toxicity. The study concluded that that dose was 600 milligrams.
The median follow-up duration on mistletoe was 15.3 weeks. Stable disease was observed in five patients and lasted, on average, for 15 weeks. Tumors in three participants decreased in size and remained stable for two to five months; however, this did not meet the official criteria for partial response. Patients also reported an overall improved quality of life via a questionnaire. The most common side effects reported were fatigue, nausea, and chills, which were noted as manageable.
“Intravenous mistletoe demonstrated manageable toxicities with disease control and improved quality of life in this group of patients, who had already received multiple cancer therapies,” says Paller, adding that additional phase 2 studies combined with chemotherapy, are the next step, pending additional funding.
In addition, Paller says that laboratory research to decipher ME’s mechanisms better is needed, as the cytokines (cell-signaling proteins) measured in this study are preliminary and hypothesis-generating.
Mistletoe extract is not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cancer treatment in the United States but is listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia and is offered in integrative care clinics.