Gleevec, the targeted cancer pill that has saved more than 100,000 lives, now is saving more children with a dire leukemia, as well as preventing disease progression with long term use in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia.
“Data at this weekend's meeting continues to show how much Gleevec has completely changed the outlook for so many, many patients facing cancer,” said Brian Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Cancer Institute.
At the plenary session of the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology researchers delivered news that Gleevec has been shown to improve outcomes for children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).
Ph+ ALL is the childhood leukemia with the worst prognosis and the Children's Oncology Group study shows that adding Gleevec to the treatment almost completely reverses this poor prognosis. The Children's Oncology Group is a worldwide clinical trial cooperative supported by the National Cancer Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.