Hadley, MA—A study suggests that American River Nutrition’s (ARN) delta-tocotrienol in combination with bevacizumab improves survival rates in those with advanced-stage ovarian cancer, according to a press release from ARN.

The study, “Delta tocotrienol in recurrent ovarian cancer. A phase II trial” by Caroline Brenner Thomsenet al, published inPharmacological Research, included 23 patients. Rate of disease stabilization was 70% with low toxicity. Progression-free survival—the amount of time during which the patient was alive without the cancer progressing—was a median time period of 6.9 months, and overall survival was a median time period of 10.9 months, which, the study notes, is high compared to current literature.

The researchers came to the conclusion that “The combination of bevacizumab and tocotrienol is potent in chemotherapy refractory ovarian cancer.”

ARN’s press release notes that ovarian cancer is the 5thmost common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S.; in 2018, the American Cancer Society approximated that 22,240 women in the U.S. received a new ovarian cancer diagnosis while around 14,070 people died of the disease. Patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer often have a recurrence of the disease after primary treatment, and eventually become chemotherapy-resistant.

Bevacizumab, Avastin®, is an anti-angiogenic agent; tocotrienols, too, have anti-angiogenic properties.

Dr. Barrie Tan, president of ARN, said in the release, “As one of the most deadly cancers in women, ovarian cancer needs further attention, and I applaud Dr. Jakobsen and his group for their novel approach in finding alternative treatment options for these patients. The fact that a simple vitamin such as tocotrienol in combination with standard therapy could prolong a woman’s life and improve its quality under these severe circumstances is nothing short of astonishing.”