Global cancer rates on the rise
Global rates of cancer could rise 50 percent to 15 million new cases a year by 2020,
the World Cancer Report says. But healthy lifestyles and public health action by governments and
health practitioners could stem this trend and prevent as many as one-third of
cancers worldwide, the report says. Once considered a largely Western disease, cancer now affects and
kills more people in the developing world than in industrialized nations. In many countries,
it accounts for more than a quarter of all deaths. In 2000, 5.3 million men and 4.7 million
women developed a malignant tumor and altogether 6.2 million died from the disease. The World
Cancer Report is a concise manual describing the global burden, the causes of cancer, major
types of malignancies, early detection and treatment. The 351-page global report is issued
by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health
Organization (WHO). A complete list of cancer rates by countries
can be found at the IARC Web site.
(April 2003)
Simple test rates accuracy of cancer sites
Cancer patients looking for herbs, vitamins or other unconventional therapies on the Internet have a new tool to help them avoid quack cures and bad medical information. Web users can rate a site with four simple yes-or-no questions designed by the authors of The Internet for Medical Information About Cancer: Help or Hindrance? Each yes answer is considered a red flag, a warning that the Web site is likely to have vague or scientifically inaccurate information. The questions are:
Is online purchasing permitted?
Are patient testimonials available?
Is the treatment described as a cancer cure?
Is the treatment described as “having no side effects”?
While sites with no red flags often provided some scientifically accurate information, those with red flags did not. Instead, they included large amounts of vague and unsubstantiated information.
(March 2003)
UCLA program studies environmental causes of cancer
A new program at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center and the School of Public Health will
seek to discover subtle variations in the human genetic blueprint that predispose some
individuals to develop cancer after contact with environmental pollutants.
The program will explore why some people exposed to second-hand cigarette
smoke develop lung cancer, while others don’t, for instance. Bringing together top environmental
researchers and molecular biologists at UCLA, the program hopes to shed new light on
how pollutants interact with genetics to cause a variety of cancers. The Ann Fitzpatrick
Alper Program in Environmental Genomics will be headed by Dr. Robert H. Schiestl, UCLA professor
of pathology, environmental health and radiation oncology.
(March 2003)
FDA approves new anti-nausea med for chemo
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Merck & Co.'s drug Emend (aprepitant) for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting caused by initial and repeat chemotherapy.
Emend, which was approved for use in combination with two other antiemetics, is the first product to be cleared in the U.S. for prevention of the delayed nausea and vomiting that can occur more than 24 hours after treatment with drugs such as high-dose cisplatin, the FDA said. Emend works by blocking NK1 receptors in the brain. However, the agency cautioned that Emend can interact with certain medications, including some chemotherapy drugs and anticoagulants, and can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills.
(March 2003)
Clofarabine shows hope as treatment for AML, CML
The experimental agent clofarabine appears to have significant activity against refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blast phase, according to study findings presented at the annual meeting of The American Society of Hematology in early December. Clofarabine is a deoxyadenosine analogue that is currently being tested against a variety of hematologic malignancies. The drug is being co-developed by UK’s Bioenvision, Inc. and San Antonio, Texas-based Ilex Oncology, Inc. under the trade name Clofarex. In the current phase II study, Dr. Jorge E. Cortes, from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 39 patients with hematologic disease who were treated with clofarabine. The overall treatment response rates were 64%, 71%, 33%, and 75% for patients with AML, CML, ALL, and MDS. Furthermore, the majority of AML and CML patients who responded to therapy achieved a complete response.
(December 2002)
Imatinib showing effect in AML
Although most research on imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) has focused on its activity against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), findings from a study presented at the annual meeting of The American Society of Hematology in early December suggest that it may also be useful against some forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The current study involved 19 patients with c-kit positive AML who were treated with imatinib mesylate at a dose of 600 mg per day. The patients either had relapsed AML, disease that was refractory to standard chemotherapy, or were not candidates for standard chemotherapy. As of June 2002, preliminary response data were available for 12 of the patients studied. Four of the 12 patients achieved a hematologic response, including two partial responses and two complete responses. The median duration of hematologic response was 108 days. One of the two patients who achieved a complete response was still in complete remission 181 days after starting imatinib mesylate. "For AML patients who have exhausted their therapeutic options, these findings are very exciting," said Dr. Thomas Fischer, from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.
(December 2002)
Stem cell technique offers hope
British doctors say they have developed a new technique for transplanting stem cells into patients with leukemia and lymphoma. The transplants are often followed by high-dose chemotherapy, which can cause side-effects and can kill the stem cells. But the Cancer Research UK team, which works at the Paterson Institute, in Manchester, have succeeded in genetically engineering cells to make them resistant to chemotherapy. They used a virus to attach a gene called Atase to the cells. This gene protects them against the toxic effects of the treatment. They believe combining these cells, which are taken from donated bone marrow, with high-dose chemotherapy double's the action against cancer. This is because the chemotherapy not only targets the cancer cells but also attacks the patient's own stem cells. This leaves only the transplanted stem cells, which multiply to fill the gaps and strengthening the anti-cancer immune response.
(November 2002)
Leukemia Society Names New Youth Ambassador
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has named Paul Iacono, a 14-year-old actor and singer from Secaucus, NJ, as its 2003 National Youth Ambassador. Diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in 1997, Paul is a young singer and performer on stage, in film and on television. He has appeared in soap operas on network television, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." In addition, Paul has extensive credits in local theater, performing in the role of Patrick Dennis in "Mame," the title role in "Oliver," and Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol." He is also an accomplished singer and particularly likes to sing songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. In September 2002, Paul entered the prestigious High School for Performing Arts in New York City. Paul' s initial duties as National Youth Ambassador included walking in a 2002 Light The Night® Walk event in Secaucus on Sept. 28. In 2003, he is scheduled to attend the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Fla., and the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn. Other events will be scheduled.
(November 2002)
Leukemia cluster study due this winter
A study into possible environmental links to a childhood leukemia epidemic in Fallon, Nevada, should be ready in early February. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials told Nevada health authorities the study will deal with exposures from 100 chemicals to U.S. residents. The CDC and state and other federal agencies have spent the past year analyzing hundreds of biologic and environmental samples collected for evidence of chemical or infectious agents that could have caused 16 cases of childhood leukemia, three of them fatal. The state has been tracking the 16 leukemia cases since 1997 in Fallon. The assessment had been scheduled to be released this fall, but a national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals won't be ready until January, delaying the report.
(November 2002)
Hutch docs get $7 million grant
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has awarded a $7 million grant through its Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) program to Dr. Irwin Bernstein, head of pediatric oncology research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The research initiative conducted by Bernstein and a team of internationally recognized researchers is aimed at developing less toxic and more effective immune-based therapies for treating advanced leukemia and lymphoma. The researchers will attempt to harness immune cells and antibodies to selectively kill cancerous cells. In addition to Bernstein, who pioneered monoclonal antibody therapy for leukemia as well as the development, with Wyeth-Ayerst, of a monoclonal drug conjugate known as Mylotarg, the research team includes Dr. Rainer Storb, head of transplantation biology at Fred Hutchinson and pioneer of non-myeloablative stem-cell transplantation (mini-transplants)and also one of the researchers who developed bone-marrow transplantation; Drs. Philip Greenberg, head of immunology at Fred Hutchinson, and Stanley Riddell, discoverers of a technique known as Rapid Expansion Method (REM), the technology used to expand antigen-specific T cells for use in adoptive immunotherapy techniques; and Dr. Oliver Press, internationally recognized for his work in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a pioneer of antibody therapy and radioimmunotherapy. All four projects include laboratory work as well as clinical trials.
(October 2002)
16th Child Diagnosed With Leukemia In Cancer Cluster
A sixteenth case of childhood leukemia has been confirmed in a cancer cluster that has baffled scientists and frightened residents in the northern Nevada town of Fallon. Acute lymphocytic leukemia was diagnosed in a 2-year-old former resident of Churchill County, according to the Nevada State Health Division. Health officials have said that given an average rate of about three childhood cases per 100,000 children, they would normally expect to see about one case every five years in the Fallon area, which has a population of 26,000. Of the confirmed childhood leukemia victims linked to Fallon since 1997, two have died. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been testing for potential environmental contaminants since September 2001.
(July 2002)
Mixed Cord Blood Transplant Saves British Man
A male nurse in Britain with leukemia has been brought back from the brink of death by blood from seven babies' umbilical cords which, in virtually all British births, is thrown away as useless. The extraordinary recovery of Stephen Knox, 31, the first time an adult in Britain has been treated this way, is certain to lead to calls for more publicly funded cord blood banks. At present there are only two. It has been known for some time that blood from newborn babies' umbilical cords contains stem cells that could be an alternative to bone marrow. A handful of British children have been treated in this way but it had been thought that adults could not. Even if matching cells could be found from one cord, they would not be enough to repopulate the entire marrow. The two publicly funded cord blood banks in Britain — one in Newcastle, the other in London — have too little money to collect and store the amount of blood that would be needed for a comprehensive nationwide transplant program.
(July 2002)
Bone Marrow Donation Crusader Dies
Charity worker Shirley Nolan is believed to have committed suicide. Nolan, who developed the world's first bone marrow donor register, died in Australia at age 60 in mid-July. Police believe Nolan took her own life with a drug overdose after a 20-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Nolan set up the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust in London for her son, who died from a rare deficiency condition in 1979 having not found a suitable donor. By the time of her son's death, the trust had collected 30,000 possible donors. The UK list now boasts over 320,000 names and there are an estimated 7 million possible donors on 50 similar registers worldwide.
(July 2002)
Banned Leukemia-Causing Antibotics Show Up In U.S.
All honey imported from China or Thailand that is sold in Louisiana must be tested for a banned antibiotic that in rare cases can lead to a fatal bone marrow disease, Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom says. State officials found traces of the drug in three of 12 samples of imported honey. More than 10 percent of the honey consumed in the United States comes from China. The antibiotic, Chloramphenicol, is prohibited from showing up in any human food product by the federal Food and Drug Administration. State and federal officials already are testing shrimp and crawfish from China and other countries for the banned drug. The FDA says Chloramphenicol is a potent antibiotic usually used in large doses as a last resort to fight aggressive infections in humans. But the drug has been found in rare cases to cause aplastic anemia, an often-fatal bone marrow disease that sometimes leads to leukemia.
(July 2002)
Leukemia Survivors Urged Not To Delay Motherhood
Women who have conquered childhood leukemia should not put off having children for too long because the cancer drugs they were given may have affected their fertility, Danish scientists said at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Even though they may have normal monthly cycles, their ovaries may be producing fewer follicles and eggs, said Dr. Elisabeth Larsen of the Fertility Clinic at Copenhagen University. "The new finding is that female childhood cancer survivors with an apparently normal menstrual cycle might have a shortened reproductive span," Larsen said. Although it is not possible to estimate how much shorter the span might be, Larsen said her hospital is advising childhood leukemia survivors to have their first child before they are 30.
(July 2002)
New Federal Law Boosts Blood Cancer Research
President George W. Bush signed into law on May 14 legislation that provides for blood-related cancer research and patient and public education on these diseases. Known as the Hematological Cancer Research and Education Investment Act (S. 1094), the bill creates new programs for blood-related cancer research and education. The research component is called the Joe Moakley Research Excellence Program, in honor of the late Massachusetts congressman who died of leukemia last year. The program will be run by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in collaboration with other agencies. The education element, intended to provide information and education for patients and the general public on blood-related cancers, will be known as the Geraldine Ferraro Cancer Education Program in honor of the former congresswoman and vice presidential candidate who has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. "This is a tremendous achievement for blood cancer advocates," said Dwayne Howell, president and CEO of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. "This puts blood cancer solidly on the federal government's agenda."
(May 2002)
NICE Not Playing Nice On Gleevec
Britain's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) said on May 14 that there was insufficient evidence to recommend widespread use of the leukemia drug Gleevec (Glivec). NICE said its provisional assessment was that the drug should be recommended only for the treatment of patients who have reached the accelerated phase of CML. It said there is "insufficient evidence" to recommend the drug for the routine treatment of patients in the earlier chronic disease phase or the later terminal blast-crisis phase — comments that have outraged patients and doctors alike. Novartis said it was "confounded" by the decision which "contradicts expert opinion." The company and patient and medical groups have until June 4 to comment on NICE's provisional assessment before the appraisals committee meets again to assess any new evidence on June 13. NICE expects to issue formal guidance to the National Health Service in August. "It means you have to begin to start dying of the disease before you have the opportunity to get treatment," said Professor Tony Goldstone, consultant haematologist at London University College Hospital.
(May 2002)
Gleevec Offering Hope In Other Diseases
Hope for potential uses for Gleevec is expanding. To wit: Researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are testing Gleevec to see if it will help melanoma patients whose disease is driven by one of the enzymes Gleevec neutralizes. And Gleevec also might protect patients from a lethal heart condition that doesn't respond well to other treatments. People with the blood disease hypereosinophilic syndrome, or HES, are likely to develop dangerous blood clots in the heart wall, followed by pumping trouble. But University of Utah researcher Gerald Gleich says treatment with the drug Gleevec can reduce the HES-related heart complications and other problems by battling elevated levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. "It's not a cure but the patients behave almost as if they've been cured," Gleich explains. His study on Gleevec-treated HES patients, conducted at the Mayo Clinic, appears in the British medical journal The Lancet.
(May 2002)
Clinical Trial Service Expanding
HopeLink Corporation, a privately held healthcare information technology company, announced that more than 50 organizations, consisting mainly of nonprofit patient advocacy
groups and some targeted health portals, have joined the HopeLink Syndicated
Network of partners. The network is the primary distribution channel for the
HopeLink Clinical Trial Service, a hosted, web-based application that helps increase patient awareness and enrollment in cancer trials by improving access to clinical trial information and enabling organizations that sponsor or conduct clinical trials to streamline components
of the process. The HopeLink Clinical Trial Service, a free, easy-to-use, comprehensive
database of over 1,800 cancer trials, provides patients, advocates,
physicians, research professionals and healthcare organizations with the
latest information on drug therapies under development, including enrollment
information and preliminary eligibility requirements.
(May 2002)
Cartoon Ziggy Becomes Leukemia Spokesman
Comic strip icon ZIGGY has been named "The Official SpokesCharacter for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society." The cross promotion pairs Ziggy, the iconic "everyman" with the optimistic attitude, and an organization that brings hope to hundreds of thousands of patients with blood-related cancers and their families. Ziggy, gathering more licensing attention than ever, appeals to multiple generations and nearly every demographic, the Leukemia Society says, and was chosen as the perfect, friendly and recognizable character that could bring awareness to the cause. The character was created by Tom Wilson in 1971.
(May 2002)
Marathon Man: Dr. Druker Hits The Road For Leukemia
Dr. Brian Druker of Oregon Health and Sciences University, whose research was instrumental in the development of Gleevec, continues his quest to cure blood-related cancers. Only this time, he is running to save lives. As a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program, Dr. Druker will run in the Suzuki Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego, Calif., on June 2. His goal is to raise additional funds to help find cures and save even more lives. For a peek at his training diary, plus more information about his research — and to help Dr. Druker meet his fund-raising goal — visit his TNT Web site.
(April 2002)
National Cancer Survivors Day Slated For June 2
In the United States, one in two men will develop cancer, and for women the risk is one in three. On National Cancer Survivors Day (NCSD), the United States honors survivors who are living with and beyond cancer, and also recognizes those professionals who are helping fight the battle against cancer. NCSD is an annual, nationwide celebration of life held in over 700 communities. Participants from coast to coast unite in a symbolic event honoring the 8.9 million Americans who are surviving cancer. National Cancer Survivors Day is held in most communities on the first Sunday in June, although this is not always possible in some areas due to scheduling conflicts. NCSD, begun by Richard Bloch (co-founder of H&R Block) and his wife, Annette, is the world's largest and fastest-growing annual cancer survivor event.
(April 2002)
AP23573 A Possible New Drug In Fighting Leukemia
Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARIA) reported that studies on its orally active drug candidate for cancer, AP23573, demonstrate potent tumor shrinkage. This process takes place through a dramatic metabolic arrest and inhibition of nutrient uptake in tumors leading to cancer cell starvation, the company said in a press release. Animals with implanted tumors treated with AP23573 at low doses for five days showed "significant, sustained" reduction in tumor volume even after termination of treatment: 46% reduction in AP23573-treated animals versus 150% increase in untreated animals. The effectiveness of AP23573 is particularly prominent in cancer cells with a mutated tumor suppressor gene called PTEN, making it possible to identify cancer patients who would especially benefit from this drug candidate. Cancers with PTEN mutation include prostate, uterine, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer, as well as melanoma, leukemia, and glioma. AP23573 is undergoing studies required for regulatory filings to begin clinical trials.
(April 2002)
"Designer Baby" Hoped To Save Daughter's Life
A family from Australia has won approval to conceive a "designer baby" in a last-ditch bid to find a cure for their 3-year-old daughter, who has Fanconi's anemia. The Infertility Treatment Authority decision allows doctors to screen IVF embryos for a tissue match to a terminally ill child. The approval means the parents of desperately sick toddler Christina Curkowskyj now have a chance to save her life. Blood from a "perfect match" sibling's umbilical cord can be harvested and transfused to help her bone marrow regrow. The parents now face a race against time to conceive and give birth to the potentially life-saving baby.
(April 2002)
Gleevec Combo Might Combat Prostate, Renal Cancers
Treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors PKI166 and STI571 can reduce bone metastases associated with prostate cancer and renal cancer, according to animal study findings presented at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in San Francisco. Dr. Sun Jin Kim and colleagues, from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, tested PKI166 and STI571 (Gleevec) in nude mice whose tibias were injected with human prostate cancer cells. Several drug regimens were tested including a combination of the two agents with paclitaxel and paclitaxel monotherapy. Large tumors were found in the bones of mice given saline or paclitaxel. When paclitaxel was combined with either of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the tumors were smaller and the bone was preserved. The best results, however, were achieved when all three drugs were given in combination. The mechanism of action of PKI166 and of STI571 appears to involve inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis by the targeting endothelial cells associated with bone metastasis, the authors note.
(April 2002)
Dr. Charles Sawyers Named To Eos Board
Eos Biotechnology Inc. announced that Charles L. Sawyers, MD, professor of medicine,
division of Hematology/Oncology at UCLA School of Medicine and area director
of the Genitourinary Oncology Program at the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center in
Los Angeles, Calif., has been appointed to the company's Scientific
Advisory Board. Dr. Sawyers' research has shown why Gleevec may stop working in CML patients who are in the advanced stages of the disease. His group showed how an adaptive
response in the late stages of CML allows the production of an enzyme that
causes resistance to the drug's anti-cancer effects. This will likely lead to
newer and more effective treatments for this disease.
(April 2002)
New Protocol Could Stop Heart Damage In Chemo Kids
Fifteen years ago, doctors adopted a drug-delivery protocol in which lower doses of drugs in the class known as anthracyclines were infused over a 48-hour period in the hospital in cycles for several weeks in children receiving chemotherapy. The idea was that the lower dose would reduce the likelihood of chemo-induced heart damage. However, cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle, occurs despite doctors' best efforts, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But a new study, the details of which have not been released, is expected to recommend treatment with the drug dexrazoxane, brand name Zinecard, to protect the heart. Doxorubicin and similar forms of chemotherapy cause the development of free radicals, renegade molecules that lack an electron, and are capable of destroying heart tissue. When dexrazoxane is given a half-hour before the administration of doxorubicin, free radicals are quelled. Taken together, the studies should change treatment protocols for children with the leukemia.
(March 2002)
EC Approves CTI's Trisenox Marketing For APL
The European Commission has granted Cell Therapeutics (UK) Ltd. marketing authorization for Trisenox (arsenic trioxide), indicated for the induction of remission and consolidation in adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute promyelocytic
leukemia (APL), characterized by the presence of the t(15:17) translocation
and/or the presence of the Pro-Myelocytic Leukemia/Retinioic-Acid-Receptor-
alpha (PML/RAR-alpha) gene. Previous treatment should have included a retinoid
and chemotherapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved
Trisenox for the treatment of relapsed/refractory APL in September 2000. The European Commission designated the medicinal product arsenic trioxide an orphan drug in October 2000. The European Commission also designated arsenic trioxide an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes.
(March 2002)
Painters At Increased Risk For Leukemia
Men and women in the painting and paint manufacturing trades may have an increased risk of cancer, according to the results of a large study conducted in Sweden. The findings are published in the March issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The researchers found that male painters and metal lacquerers had a small but significantly increased risk of lung cancer, while male artists were at higher risk of bladder cancer. And men who worked in paint or varnish plants faced a higher risk of pancreatic and lung cancer, as well as non-lymphocytic leukemia. Women who worked with lacquer had an increased risk of esophagus, larynx and oral cavity cancers, while female glazers had an increased risk of developing oral cancers. The study, however, did not control for participants' cigarette smoking or alcohol use, and information on job histories was incomplete.
(March 2002)
"Hit Molecules" May Help BMT Patients Accept Grafts
Leukemia patients who receive a bone marrow donation with the right kind of "natural killer cells," which do just what their name suggests, are much less likely to reject the grafts, according to a new study by U.S. and Italian researchers. Experiments in mice show the natural killer cells also appear to help eradicate lingering leukemia. Better yet, targeting an enzyme that seems to arouse them may make bone marrow grafts more palatable to patients. The findings, reported in Science, could give doctors another layer of screening for bone marrow recipients to improve their chances of success. "You can try to do these tests before you do the transplant and find not just a well-matched donor, but one whose natural killer cells will react against the patient's leukemic cells," says Alan Kinniburgh, vice president of medical affairs and research for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
(March 2002)
Minorities Short-Changed In Cancer Treatment
The color of your skin and not the size of your tumor may determine your chances of surviving cancer, according to new research that highlights racial and ethnic disparities in cancer care. The study, published in the March 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, reviewed 87 previous studies on cancer treatment and survival and found glaring differences in the type and quality of cancer treatments given to racial and ethnic minorities at every stage of disease. The review found white patients often received more aggressive therapy than minorities for lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers. But whites were more likely to receive less aggressive therapy, such as breast-conserving therapy, when the benefits of the therapy were clearly established. African Americans were also less likely to receive treatment for their lung cancers and, when treated, to not receive surgery. Minorities also received appropriate surgery for colorectal cancers less frequently than whites.
(March 2002)
CD34 Cells Improve Leukemia-Free Survival
In leukemia patients receiving either bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, a high dose of CD34+ cells is associated with improved leukemia-free survival, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Olle Ringden, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues analyzed how CD34-cell dose levels affected 359 recipients of iliac crest bone marrow and 511 recipients of peripheral blood stem cells obtained from HLA-identical siblings. Bone marrow recipients with a CD34-cell dose of less than 1 million per kilogram had a higher rate of death, Dr. Ringden said. A higher-than-median CD34-cell dose in bone marrow recipients, "decreases transplant related mortality and increases leukemia-free survival," he said. In peripheral blood stem cell recipients, a higher-than-median CD34-cell dose resulted in higher rates of chronic graft-versus-host disease but significantly lower relapse rates and improved leukemia-free survival.
(February 2002)
Natural human alpha interferon approved in Mexico
Viragen Inc. (Amex: VRA) and Viragen International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VERP) announced the approval of its natural human alpha interferon for sale in Mexico. The
Mexican regulatory authorities approved an application filed by Viragen's new
strategic partner, Laboratorios Pisa, a leading Mexican pharmaceutical
company. Viragen has granted Laboratorios Pisa the exclusive rights to
distribute its natural interferon in Mexico. This regulatory approval allows
for the treatment of patients in Mexico with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and
chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) who did not respond to recombinant
(synthetic) interferon regimens. Applications will be filed with Mexico's
Ministry of Health to further broaden the drug's indications. Earlier this
month, Sweden's regulatory agency approved the expansion of the use of
Viragen's natural interferon for the treatment of patients afflicted with any
and all diseases in which patients were or became resistant to therapy using
recombinant interferon. Global interferon sales are estimated to exceed
$2 billion per year.
(Jan. 31, 2002)
Cancer Drug E21R Gains Patent Approval
BresaGen Ltd., Adelaide, Australia, parent company to Athens, Georgia-based BresaGen, Inc., has been granted a second U.S. patent in relation to its anti-cancer drug E21R. The latest patent is a "method of use patent" that protects the apoptotic (cell killing) activity of E21R, relevant to destroying the malignant cells that develop in myeloid leukemia. The patent has also been granted in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore and an application is proceeding in Europe and Japan. British Biotech plc (Nasdaq: BBIOY) is currently undertaking a Phase II trial of E21R in the UK targeting treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. In
addition, BresaGen is conducting a Phase II efficacy trial in Australia for
the treatment of CMML (chronic myelomonocytic leukemia). A phase II study
into the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis has also been approved and is
expected to begin in Australia in the first quarter of 2002.
(Jan. 23, 2002)
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