Experimental Drug for “Elephant Man” Disease May Benefit Certain Cancers Too

Joseph Merrick, who was known as the Elephant Man, suffered from Proteus syndrome, a rare disorder that causes abnormal and disproportionate overgrowth of the skeleton, skin, adipose tissue, and central nervous system. ArQule is developing a treatment for Proteus syndrome and other overgrowth disorders. We spoke to Brian Schwartz, chief medical officer of ArQule, about its potential treatment for Proteus syndrome, how it works, and why it may have implications in a number of other indications including several forms of cancer.