Meet the Investigator: Dr. Gerhardt Attard

Dr. Gerhardt Attard’s career path in cancer research was paved during his medical fellowship, shortly after the death of his grandfather to colon cancer. The personal loss of someone so close, led him to focus his future in medicine towards eliminating any further pain others would have to endure at the hands of such a disease.

Now 33, with a brilliant career ahead in medical oncology, Dr. Attard, MD, PhD is working towards stamping out suffering caused by prostate cancer.

“Everyone has a personal story when it comes to cancer,” said Dr. Attard.  “Whenever I tell people I research cancer there’s always someone around who has been touched by this killer.  In many ways I work from a personal incentive because of my granddad - we were very close.”

Developments on the Horizon
At The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London (UK),  and under the mentorship of Dr. Johann de Bono, Dr. Attard’s research currently centers on identifying new biomakers that will help predict which patients might be successful (or unsuccessful) candidates for an experimental drug named abiraterone. Recognizing the vast potential and early success of this work, the Prostate Cancer Foundation awarded Dr. Attard the Susan and James Blair – PCF Young Investigator award in 2008.

“The PCF investigator award has possibly been the turning point in my career,” said Dr. Attard. “To be given a vote of confidence by an institution like the PCF really set me along the right path. Everyone knows that funding given by the PCF is scientifically and rigorously checked.  Having received the award, many opportunities to collaborate with other investigators have opened up.”

Published online reports in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Dr. Attard and associates have shown that abiraterone acts as an inhibitor to the CYP17 enzyme which is known for creating testosterone in many prostate cancer patients.  Early clinical studies have also revealed that the drug decrease circulating tumor cell counts of patient’s with advanced prostate cancer.

According to Dr. Attard, 80 percent of men with aggressive prostate, who had previously not responded to other treatments, improved after taking abiraterone during clinical trials.

“I wrote the original abiraterone protocol for phase I/II studies based on the large body of evidence that showed a significant proportion of prostate cancers were still driven by hormones that persisted in patients,” said Dr. Attard.

“The men in these studies had severe pain and received several other treatments before undergoing our abiraterone study,” said Dr. Attard. “Within four weeks a number of the men had exceptionally good responses and drops in their PSA [levels]. One patient’s PSA was at 120 or so and dropped to less than one. It has been an enormous privilege to have been involved with a drug that helped so many of our patients in such a tangible and real way.” Dr. Attard explains the development of abiraterone has subsequently moved so rapidly that Phase III evaluation in a study aimed to obtain FDA regulatory approval is now underway. “Hopefully, abiraterone will prove to be effective and can improve the lives of thousands of prostate cancer sufferers over the next few years.”

Part-Time Fundraiser
In addition to his dedicated research on abiraterone, Dr. Attard recently jumped out of a plane to raise money for cancer research.  “It was quite exhilarating I must say, having one hundred of us jump out of an airplane on the same day,” said Dr. Attard.  “We’ve been fairly successful raising money and awareness for cancer.”

When not skydiving for the cause, Dr. Attard’s time is spent seeing both ends of the spectrum of prostate cancer. Working as both an oncologist half of the week and lab scientist the other, his interaction with patients allows him to ask pertinent questions which are then brought into a laboratory setting.

“It’s the best of both worlds in many ways,” said Dr. Attard. “On the days I’m with my patients I’m allowed to refocus on their needs. The next day when I’m in the lab, I’m able to design and develop experiments that can interrogate important patient issues. This has only been made possible by the young investigator award given to me by the PCF last year.”

Meet the other prostate cancer investigators PCF has profiled.