Antibody-targeted
Chemotherapy Induces Remission in Some Leukemia Patients
NEW ORLEANS, LA—At the 41st Annual Meeting and Exposition of
the American Society of Hematology (ASH) recently, scientists presented the
latest data on the use of a pioneering drug technology known as
"antibody-targeted chemotherapy" to fight acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a
virulent and often fatal form of cancer. The experimental agent, CMA-676,
induces remission in a significant proportion of patients with few serious side
effects. CMA-676 represents the first successful application of
antibody-targeted chemotherapy. AML is an aggressive, life-threatening disease
in which certain white blood cells become cancerous and rapidly accumulate in
the bone marrow, preventing normal marrow from growing and functioning properly.
AML is among the most serious forms of adult leukemia, with a relatively high
fatality rate. Most patients require intensive chemotherapy to achieve complete
remission, and some also must undergo bone marrow transplants. Up to half of all
patients with AML, even after intensive treatment, have residual leukemic cells
or experience a relapse.
