Seeds from this plant, Coix lacryma-jobi, or
Job’s tears, are the source of the active ingredient
in Kanglaite Injection.

Clinical oncology focuses on attacking the malignant tumor as aggressively as possible, even though the side effects of the anti-cancer drugs are sometimes significant. The primary focus typically shifts to quality of life, pain management, and an emphasis on nutrition only in the later stages of cancer treatment. In contrast, physicians in China initially focus on quality of life, the ability to perform the tasks of daily living, pain management, and control of nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. Once the patient is more comfortable and stable, the malignant tumor is attacked in the same way it is in the west, using the same methods and medications. 

It is in this context, focusing on the symptoms first, that Kanglaite Injection was originally developed in China. The drug was developed from a food grain, Coix lacryma-jobi or Job’s tears, that is also used as a traditional Chinese medicine. The drug that was developed from this grain is used both in patients critically ill with newly discovered cancer and in patients who are near the end of their course of treatment and need palliative care. In each case the drug is said to reduce some of the signs and symptoms associated with cancer, such as anorexia (no appetite), cachexia (progressive weight loss with muscle wasting), and pain. The drug is also used concurrently with chemotherapy and is reported to enhance the effect of the chemotherapy in some patients.

In the US, Kanglaite Injection (also called KLT), is experimental and is being tested or will be tested in patients with advanced cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer and cancer of the pancreas to see if any increase in effect occurs when it is added to conventional chemotherapy. Possible effects on the signs and symptoms of cancer are also being measured in these studies. In another set of clinical trials, KLT is being evaluated in patients with very advanced cancer to see if it moderates some of the signs and symptoms caused by the cancer.

Please refer to the list of studies in the Clinical Trials section of this web site for more information.  KLT is not available at this time outside of an FDA approved protocol, and no compassionate use protocols are currently available.