Leukemia News and Research

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Leukemia (Leukaemia) is a cancer of the blood cells. It is the most common type of blood cancer and affects 10 times as many adults as children. Most people diagnosed with leukemia are over 50 years old. No one knows why some people develop leukemia and others do not. However, scientists have identified some risk factors for the disease. Most people who have known risk factors do not get leukemia, while many who do get the disease have none of these risk factors. During the early stages of leukemia, there may be no symptoms. Many of the symptoms of leukemia don't become apparent until a large number of normal blood cells are crowded out by leukemia cells.

ADHD medication improves childhood cancer survivors: Research

A medicine widely used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also provides long-term relief from the attention and behavior changes that affect many childhood cancer survivors, according to a multicenter trial led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators.

14 Sep 2010

Arno Therapeutics closes private placement to advance cancer treatment

Arno Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing oncology therapeutics, today announced that it has closed a private placement of its securities resulting in gross proceeds to the company of over $15 million.

14 Sep 2010

Genoptix to participate 2010 UBS Global Life Sciences Conference

Genoptix, Inc., a specialized laboratory services provider, today announced the Company's participation at the 2010 UBS Global Life Sciences Conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, to be held September 20-22, 2010.

13 Sep 2010

Incyte Corporation enters SPA agreement with FDA for INCB18424 inhibitor

Incyte Corporation announced today that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for the design of a pivotal Phase III trial for its JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor, INCB18424 in patients with polycythemia vera (PV), a blood cancer that belongs to a group of diseases known as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

13 Sep 2010

ARIAD commences ponatinib Phase 2 clinical trial in Ph+ ALL and chronic myeloid leukemia

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of the pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial of its investigational pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor, ponatinib (previously known as AP24534), in patients with resistant or intolerant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).

13 Sep 2010

Cyclacel reaches SPA agreement with FDA for sapacitabine Phase 3 trial in AML

Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing oral therapies that target the various phases of cell cycle control for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, today announced that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) on the design of a pivotal Phase 3 trial for the Company's sapacitabine oral capsules as a front-line treatment in elderly patients aged 70 years or older with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are not candidates for intensive induction chemotherapy.

13 Sep 2010

Seattle Genetics' lintuzumab phase IIb clinical trial for AML does not meet primary endpoint

Seattle Genetics, Inc. today announced that its phase IIb clinical trial of lintuzumab (SGN-33) in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) did not meet its primary endpoint of extending overall survival. Lintuzumab is a naked monoclonal antibody that targets the CD33 antigen. As a result of the outcome of this trial, the company will discontinue its development program for lintuzumab.

13 Sep 2010

Leukemia survivor to meet donor of bone marrow transplant

Ann Marie Del Fiacco, a 38-year-old Berwyn mother of two, owes her life to a stranger who volunteered to be a donor for her life-saving bone marrow transplant.

13 Sep 2010

Myconostica presents data of MycAssay for Pneumocystis detection

Myconostica Ltd, the UK-based medical diagnostic company developing and commercialising rapid and highly specific tests for life-threatening fungal infections, today presented positive data from a multi-centre prospective evaluation of MycAssay Pneumocystis, the Company's CE marked diagnostic product for detection of Pneumocystis DNA in respiratory samples.

13 Sep 2010

Pennsylvania Bio issues new report on Pennsylvania's bioscience companies' efforts for cancer research

Pennsylvania Bio today issued a new report on cancer that details the research happening through Pennsylvania companies to develop new products to diagnose and treat cancer.

12 Sep 2010

Three quarters of British adults support removal of shop displays of tobacco: Survey

Three quarters of British adults support the removal of shop displays of tobacco (73 per cent) and a complete ban on cigarette vending machines (77 per cent) according to a new survey commissioned by Cancer Research UK this weekend.

10 Sep 2010

Synthetic derivative of Retinoic acid can induce cell death

Retinoic acid (RA), a natural derivative of vitamin A, is the basis of a number of treatments against cancer. Nevertheless, it has certain disadvantages, such as the possibility of the appearance of retinoic acid syndrome, present in 25 % of cases and which can lead to death. The development of 4-HPR, a synthetic derivative of RA, has meant a considerable advance due to its greater efficacy compared to its predecessor.

8 Sep 2010

NIH awards St. Jude $8.6M to focus on anticancer agent research in children

With its new expansion of the Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital a prestigious grant to focus on anticancer agent research in children.

8 Sep 2010

Obesity directly accelerates progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The first study to demonstrate that obesity can directly accelerate the progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been conducted at The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and will be published in Cancer Prevention Research, on October 5, 2010. Obesity has been associated with an increased incidence of many cancers, including leukemia, but it has been unknown whether the increase in incidence was a direct effect of obesity or associated with genetic, lifestyle, health, or socio-economic factors.

8 Sep 2010

Complete Genomics, SAIC-Frederick collaborate to validate somatic mutations from pediatric cancer cases

Complete Genomics Inc., a life sciences company focused on human genome sequencing, today announced a collaboration to identify and validate somatic mutations from 50 pediatric cancer cases from multiple research centers across the United States.

7 Sep 2010

CytRx commences PROACT Phase 2 clinical trial of bafetinib for advanced prostate cancer

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced initiation of the PROstate Advanced Cancer Treatment (PROACT) Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bafetinib in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

7 Sep 2010

RA synthetic derivative 4-HPR's ability to induce tumour cell death

7 Sep 2010

New VA regulation helps to get recognition, treatment for three disorders in Agent Orange exposure

A new VA regulation adding three health conditions to the list of those presumed to have been caused by exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War was published this week. Pending a 60-day congressional review, the regulation will make some 200,000 veterans eligible for VA benefits over the next year and a half.

4 Sep 2010

Study finds acupuncture can control side effects of cancer treatment

Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can help control a number of symptoms and side effects such as pain, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting associated with a variety of cancers and their treatments.

3 Sep 2010

Research on immune system can develop new therapy for inflammation, tumors

In two closely related studies, two teams of Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma, and malignant tumors.

3 Sep 2010