Emactuzumab for treating tenosynovial giant cell tumour

Emactuzumab is being developed for the treatment of tenosynovial giant cell tumour (TGCT). TGCTs are rare, non-cancerous tumours that occur within the joints and the sheathing (protective layers) of tendons, causing the joints to grow and stiffen. TGCT generally affects people between 25 to 50 years of age and is believed to arise due to a randomly occurring genetic abnormality within some cells in the tumour. TGCT is a rare lifelong disease. The most common treatment for TGCT is for the tumour to be removed surgically. However, this is not always possible due to the size or location of the tumour and surgery also results in high mortality or risk of recurrence. If untreated or if the tumour continually comes back, it can result in damage and degeneration of the affected area. There are currently no approved medications to treat TGCTs.