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.

MorphoSys, Xencor sign worldwide exclusive license, collaboration agreement for XmAb5574 antibody program

MorphoSys AG and US-based biopharmaceutical company Xencor, Inc., announced today the signing of a worldwide exclusive license and collaboration agreement for an antibody in Phase 1 clinical development. The agreement provides MorphoSys with an exclusive worldwide license to XmAb5574, a high potency monoclonal antibody developed by Xencor for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.

28 Jun 2010

EpiCept signs definitive agreements for purchase of 6.1M shares of common stock

EpiCept Corporation announced today that it entered into definitive agreements for the purchase of approximately 6.1 million shares of its common stock at $1.10 per share, five year warrants to purchase up to approximately 4.6 million shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.57 per share exercisable beginning December 30, 2010 and one year warrants to purchase up to approximately 6.1 million shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.57 per share exercisable beginning December 30, 2010.

28 Jun 2010

Sanofi-aventis' Phase I clinical trial with SAR650984 triggers $1M milestone payment to ImmunoGen

ImmunoGen, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops targeted antibody-based anticancer products, today announced that sanofi-aventis has initiated a Phase I clinical trial with SAR650984, an investigational antibody that targets cancer cells expressing the CD38 protein antigen. This event triggers a $1 million milestone payment to ImmunoGen.

25 Jun 2010

Japanese researchers identity useful markers for early diagnosis of CMV gastritis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is a serious complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT), which is widely accepted as a curative therapy for advanced hematological malignancies including leukemia and malignant lymphoma.

25 Jun 2010

Merck proposes to initiate Phase II proof-of-concept clinical study of posaconazole for chronic Chagas disease

Merck today announced plans to initiate a Phase II investigational proof-of-concept clinical study to evaluate its oral antifungal agent posaconazole for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease. Chagas disease results from infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that is spread by biting insects. The disease is estimated to affect approximately eight million people in Latin America, of whom approximately 30-40 percent will develop serious cardiac disease, digestive disease, or both as a result of this infection.

24 Jun 2010

Treatment options for patients with MS

The best one-word description for multiple sclerosis is "unpredictable," according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. MS interferes with the communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Just how that interference plays out in symptoms is different for everyone -- thus, the unpredictable label.

24 Jun 2010

No increased risk of childhood cancer if born near mobile phone stations: Study

There have been concerns regarding increased risk for cancer in children born to mothers who lived near mobile phone stations during their pregnancy after a report of a cluster of childhood cancer cases near such stations. A newly published study in the British Medical Journal refutes such beliefs and has found no link to early childhood cancers and living near mobile phone masts.

22 Jun 2010

Pfizer to discontinue commercial availability of Mylotarg for AML in U.S.

Pfizer Inc. announced today that based on discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it will be discontinuing commercial availability of Mylotarg® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin for Injection) (used for the treatment of relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML)) in the United States and that it will be voluntarily withdrawing the new drug application (NDA) for Mylotarg effective October 15, 2010.

22 Jun 2010

Pfizer announces voluntary withdrawal of Mylotarg from U.S. market following FDA request

Pfizer Inc. today announced the voluntary withdrawal from the U.S. market of the drug Mylotarg (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a bone marrow cancer. The company took the action at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after results from a recent clinical trial raised new concerns about the product's safety and the drug failed to demonstrate clinical benefit to patients enrolled in trials.

22 Jun 2010

Semafore's SF1126 peptidic prodrug demonstrates clinical activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Semafore Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of preliminary clinical data demonstrating that SF1126 has clinical activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). SF1126 is a novel peptidic prodrug that converts to LY294002, one of the most widely studied small molecule inhibitors of both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The results were presented at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's 8th Annual Next-Gen Kinase Inhibitors Oncology & Beyond Conference being held June 21-23, 2010, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

22 Jun 2010

Celator announces expansion of research agreement with Cephalon

Celator Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has expanded its research agreement with Cephalon, Inc.. The research agreement provides for the utilization of Celator's proprietary technology in an ongoing drug development and life-cycle management program at Cephalon.

22 Jun 2010

Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture's StemEx program receives FDA Fast Track Designation

Gamida Cell announced today that the Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture has received an FDA Fast Track Designation for StemEx, in development as an alternative to a bone marrow transplant for patients with blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.

21 Jun 2010

Prototype drug blocks MCL-1 protein that helps tumors survive treatment: Scientists

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a way to disable a common protein that often thwarts chemotherapy treatment of several major forms of cancer.

21 Jun 2010

New phase I/IIa clinical trial of AR-42 for blood cancer at OSUCCC-James

For the second time within a year, an experimental drug invented by cancer researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) is being tested on patients in a clinical trial.

19 Jun 2010

CFIDS Association applauds AABB for responding to questions about safety of general blood supply

The CFIDS Association of America commends the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banking) for its actions to protect the safety of the nation's blood supply by recommending that blood collectors actively discourage potential donors who have been diagnosed by a physician with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, or CFIDS) from donating blood through the use of donor information materials made available at the donation site.

19 Jun 2010

Cyclacel files Answer and Counterclaims to Celgene's declaratory judgment complaint

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 disorders, today announced that it filed its Answer and Counterclaims to the declaratory judgment complaint filed by Celgene Corporation.

18 Jun 2010

FVL gene mutation increases risk of blood clots in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen: Study

Women who develop blood clots while taking tamoxifen for early-stage breast cancer are more likely to carry a faulty version of a gene involved in clotting than those who do not develop blood clots, a US study has found.

18 Jun 2010

ASH selects 14 participants for 2010 MMSAP

The American Society of Hematology announces the selection of 14 participants for its 2010 Minority Medical Student Award Program, which encourages minority Medical students to purse an interest in hematology research. Award recipients will each receive the support of a research mentor and a career-development mentor, travel stipends to attend the ASH annual meeting, and a subscription to the scientific journal Blood, the official journal of ASH.

18 Jun 2010

First patient dosed in AR-42 Phase I/IIa clinical study at OSUCCC-James in adult patients with blood cancer

Arno Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing oncology therapeutics, today announced the dosing of the first patient in an investigator sponsored Phase I/IIa clinical study of AR-42 (formerly OSU-HDAC42) at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) in adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or lymphoma.

18 Jun 2010

FDA approves new indication for Tasigna in treatment of rare blood cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new indication for Tasigna (nilotinib) for the treatment of a rare blood cancer when it is first diagnosed. The cancer, called Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CP-CML), is a slowly progressing blood and bone marrow disease linked to a genetic abnormality.

18 Jun 2010

Leukemia News and Research

Further Reading

MorphoSys, Xencor sign worldwide exclusive license, collaboration agreement for XmAb5574 antibody program

EpiCept signs definitive agreements for purchase of 6.1M shares of common stock

Sanofi-aventis' Phase I clinical trial with SAR650984 triggers $1M milestone payment to ImmunoGen

Japanese researchers identity useful markers for early diagnosis of CMV gastritis

Merck proposes to initiate Phase II proof-of-concept clinical study of posaconazole for chronic Chagas disease

Treatment options for patients with MS

No increased risk of childhood cancer if born near mobile phone stations: Study

Pfizer to discontinue commercial availability of Mylotarg for AML in U.S.

Pfizer announces voluntary withdrawal of Mylotarg from U.S. market following FDA request

Semafore's SF1126 peptidic prodrug demonstrates clinical activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Celator announces expansion of research agreement with Cephalon

Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture's StemEx program receives FDA Fast Track Designation

Prototype drug blocks MCL-1 protein that helps tumors survive treatment: Scientists

New phase I/IIa clinical trial of AR-42 for blood cancer at OSUCCC-James

CFIDS Association applauds AABB for responding to questions about safety of general blood supply

Cyclacel files Answer and Counterclaims to Celgene's declaratory judgment complaint

FVL gene mutation increases risk of blood clots in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen: Study

ASH selects 14 participants for 2010 MMSAP

First patient dosed in AR-42 Phase I/IIa clinical study at OSUCCC-James in adult patients with blood cancer

FDA approves new indication for Tasigna in treatment of rare blood cancer

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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