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.

Ambit Biosciences presents data evaluating FLT3 inhibitor in AML at the 51st ASH meeting

Ambit Biosciences Corporation announced today that there will be multiple presentations evaluating AC220, a novel second generation FLT3 inhibitor, in AML at the 51st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (ASH) to be held in New Orleans, LA ,December 5-8, 2009. An oral presentation will highlight results from an ongoing clinical Phase I monotherapy safety study in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

25 Nov 2009

EMEA grants orphan drug status for LFB Biotechnologies' recombinant anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

The recombinant anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody produced by LFB Biotechnologies received orphan drug status for the treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). This approval from the EMEA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) was handed down on last October 7th.

25 Nov 2009

Bioniche Life Sciences announces the issuance of MCC patents in Japan

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced the issuance of a number of patents in Japan for its proprietary Mycobacterial Cell Wall-DNA Complex (MCC) composition.

25 Nov 2009

Faulty enzyme may contribute to malignant brain tumour formation

Around 70 per cent of people with a type of brain tumour - called a low-grade glioma - have a faulty version of an enzyme called IDH1. The mutation is also found in a significant proportion of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia.

25 Nov 2009

Medical care in Germany for children with cancer is very good: IQWiG report

Internationally viewed, medical care in Germany for children with cancer is very good as far as survival is concerned. However, other aspects, such as quality of life, pain, and long-term consequences of the disease are still insufficiently investigated in studies. This is the conclusion of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) in its final report published on 16 October 2009.

25 Nov 2009

CytRx to initiate a multinational Phase 2 clinical trial of its doxorubicin prodrug

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, today announced plans to initiate a multinational Phase 2 clinical trial with its doxorubicin prodrug INNO-206 as a treatment for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas who have failed surgery and radiation. Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that are formed in the muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels or other supporting tissue of the body.

24 Nov 2009

NCCN Guidelines adds ofatumumab and romidepsin as therapy options for CLL

Two recent FDA approvals have prompted the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to update the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM) for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas to include ofatumumab (Azerra(TM), GlaxoSmithKline) and romidepsin (Istodax(R), Gloucester Pharmaceuticals) as treatment options for select patients with two types of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.

24 Nov 2009

Mutated IDH1 gene linked to the progression of gliomas

23 Nov 2009

Mutated IDH1 gene has novel enzyme activity consistent with cancer-causing gene: Study

Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that its scientists have established, for the first time, that the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activity consistent with a cancer-causing gene, or oncogene. This breakthrough discovery shows that the mutated form of IDH1 produces a metabolite, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), which may contribute to the formation and malignant progression of gliomas, the most common type of brain cancers.

23 Nov 2009

Phase 1 data of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor to be presented at the ASH meeting

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Company and collaborating investigators from five major oncology research centers in the United States will present data from a Phase 1 clinical trial of ARIAD’s investigational, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor and pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor, AP24534, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) being held in New Orleans, Louisiana, December 5-8, 2009.

23 Nov 2009

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center receives $10 million to advance biomedical research

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has received a pledge of $10 million to advance the promising field of immunotherapy research to treat and cure cancer, even in late stages.

23 Nov 2009

Scientists discover new potential target for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. By exploiting this mechanism, researchers have been able to powerfully suppress tumor formation in lab testing and in animal models.

22 Nov 2009

Discovery holds promise in fighting cancer, AIDS and autoimmune disorders

21 Nov 2009

Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde linked with increased risk of myeloid leukemia

Long durations of exposure to formaldehyde used for embalming in the funeral industry were associated with an increased risk of death from myeloid leukemia, according to a new study published online November 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

21 Nov 2009

SCF founder Sabrina Cohen recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero

Sabrina Cohen, founder of The Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research (SCF), was just recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero. She will receive national media attention with a full-page article about her personal story of triumph and courage, and shares the spotlight with celebrity movie-star, Scarlett Johansson and other Health Heroes in the November/December issue.

20 Nov 2009

Scientists closer to unraveling the mechanisms of gene regulation

A team led by Penn State's Ross Hardison, T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has taken a large step toward unraveling how regulatory proteins control the production of gene products during development and growth.

20 Nov 2009

Aegera Therapeutics commences AEG35156 Phase 2B study for AML

Aegera Therapeutics Inc. announced today the dosing of the first patient in a randomized Phase 2B study of AEG35156, a targeted antisense therapeutic in mid-stage development for multiple oncology indications.

19 Nov 2009

Genetic identity of cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody discovered

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders. The discovery is such a crucial part of immunology that UAB researchers, in conjunction with Japanese researchers, are asking that the gene linked to this antibody receptor be renamed to better describe its role in early immune responses.

19 Nov 2009

FDA issues complete response for Rituxan, a drug for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), and Biogen Idec announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a complete response on the companies’ applications for Rituxan® (rituximab) plus fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) for the treatment of people with previously untreated and previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

19 Nov 2009

CytRx plans Phase 2 clinical trial of its doxorubicin prodrug for advanced gastric cancer

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, today announced plans to initiate an open-label, multinational Phase 2 clinical trial with its doxorubicin prodrug INNO-206 as a second-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric (stomach) cancer.

18 Nov 2009

Leukemia News and Research

Further Reading

Ambit Biosciences presents data evaluating FLT3 inhibitor in AML at the 51st ASH meeting

EMEA grants orphan drug status for LFB Biotechnologies' recombinant anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

Bioniche Life Sciences announces the issuance of MCC patents in Japan

Faulty enzyme may contribute to malignant brain tumour formation

Medical care in Germany for children with cancer is very good: IQWiG report

CytRx to initiate a multinational Phase 2 clinical trial of its doxorubicin prodrug

NCCN Guidelines adds ofatumumab and romidepsin as therapy options for CLL

Mutated IDH1 gene linked to the progression of gliomas

Mutated IDH1 gene has novel enzyme activity consistent with cancer-causing gene: Study

Phase 1 data of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor to be presented at the ASH meeting

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center receives $10 million to advance biomedical research

Scientists discover new potential target for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Discovery holds promise in fighting cancer, AIDS and autoimmune disorders

Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde linked with increased risk of myeloid leukemia

SCF founder Sabrina Cohen recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero

Scientists closer to unraveling the mechanisms of gene regulation

Aegera Therapeutics commences AEG35156 Phase 2B study for AML

Genetic identity of cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody discovered

FDA issues complete response for Rituxan, a drug for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CytRx plans Phase 2 clinical trial of its doxorubicin prodrug for advanced gastric cancer

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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