A cancer drug developed by a team led by a Maltese doctor is offering hope to millions of people.

In an interview in tomorrow' The Times tomorrow, Johann de Bono, one of the scientists at the Institute for Cancer Research, s ays the drug kills cancer cells but does not harm other health cells.

“The concept of killing cancer cells while not harming normal cells is the holy grail in cancer research,” he said this morning.

The twice-a-day tablet, Olaparib, targets the genetic defect which causes cells to turn cancerous and shrank or stabilised tumours in more than half of the 60 patients with inherited advanced forms of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers who were treated with it. One of the first patients to be given the treatment is still in remission after two years.

“It is giving patients who have already tried many conventional treatments long periods of remission, free from the symptoms of cancer or major side effects,” Dr de Bono, originally from Birzebbuga, said.

Moreover, it does away with the uncomfortable side effects associated with both chemo and radio therapy.

Although it was originally meant to target breast, ovarian and prostate cancers caused by mutations in two genes – BRACA 1 and 2 – researchers “strongly believe” that it can be used in other non-inherited forms of cancers.

In a statement the Institute for Cancer Research said Olaparib was the first successful example of a new type of personalised medicine which works together with a patient’s own specific molecular defect.