A new drug which has been in development for almost 20 years has the potential to completely transform the way medical professionals treat cancer, and could help to eventually eradicate the disease once and for all.

According to Sky News, the “cancer-killing pill” known as AOH1996 has appeared to totally “annihilate” solid tumours in early research testing. Scientists are now planning on beginning early human pre-clinical research in the US—a process which could eventually lead to its actual application on real-life cancer patients.

The pill is being worked on by City of Hope, one of America’s largest cancer research and treatment organisations. City of Hope has, for a second year in a row, been recognised as within the top ten best hospitals for cancer treatment.

Professor Linda Malkas, a leading expert working on the project, explained: “PCNA is like a major airline terminal hub containing multiple plane gates. Data suggests PCNA is uniquely altered in cancer cells, and this fact allowed us to design a drug that targeted only the form of PCNA in cancer cells.”

In all of the previous research conducted by Malkas and the other experts on the team, they’ve discovered that AOH1996 has been effective in preclinical research treating cells derived from breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung cancers, as reported by News Medical.

Some doctors within the field have also referred to the cancer-killing pill as the “holy grail” of cancer treatments. With cancer being one of the most complex and difficult diseases to treat and eradicate from a human’s body, this development could potentially help save the lives of thousands of individuals.

Malkas concluded: “Our cancer-killing pill is like a snowstorm that closes a key airline hub, shutting down all flights in and out only in planes carrying cancer cells.”