What Is The Magic Bullet?

The Magic Bullet is a phrase often used in medicine which means a drug that will only attack unhealthy cells. A recent example of the Magic Bullet study was recently launched in Britain. The drug Sutent is licensed to treat two highly deadly cancers that affect the kidneys and the gut.
It works by developing two chemical 'bullets' which attack specific targets and early trials suggest that Sutent may also be effective against breast, lung and pancreatic cancers.
The drug was produced by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer and it works on the principal of blocking an enzyme called tyrosine kinase that signals cells to multiply, therefore first destroying and then blocking any further unhealthy cells in the body.
However, as with everything, this new example of the Magic Bullet drug is not cheap. Although doctors are confident that they will be able to cure 50% of kidney cancer patients, the drug costs around £2,400 per patient, per month.