[MOL] Internet Home - American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

[Martin Auslander <fitecancer@earthlink.net>]

Good Day FRiends,

Thought this might be of some interest and may have been posted
previously.


file:///C|/windows/temp/nscomm40/tmp/tmp1/edt1.htm

God Bless You,
marty auslander

Title: Internet Home - American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

New Drug Achieves Surprisingly Strong Results in Chronic Myelogenous
                             
Leukemia

              Research Results from AACR 91st Annual Meeting

 SAN FRANCISCO, April 1, 2000 - A novel approach in treating chronic myelogenous
 leukemia (CML) was presented at the 91st Annual Meeting of the American Association
 for Cancer Research (AACR), where results from a phase I study of a new drug --
 STI571 -- produced complete responses in CML patients resistant to interferon. CML
 accounts for 4,500-5,000 new cancer cases in the United States every year, with average
 survival only 4-6 years after diagnosis.

 At present, the standard treatment for CML is bone marrow transplantation (BMT),
 which has a high cure rate, but is limited to about one-third of patients due to patient
 profiles and histocompatibility (donor matching) issues. When BMT is not feasible,
 interferon is the only other treatment option.

 Pioneering research conducted in 1979 proved that a group of proteins called activated
 tyrosine kinases could cause cancer. This Nobel-winning research was led by a team that
 included Harold Varmus, the past director of the National Institutes of Health. Since then,
 scientists have targeted this group of enzymes and considerably expanded the breadth of
 knowledge about them. Bcr-Abl, a protein-tyrosine kinase found in 95 percent of patients
 with CML, is now thought to be a probable driving factor in the development of the
 disease. (When blood cells that contain Bcr-Abl are transplanted into mice, the mice
 develop leukemia.)

 STI571, a compound developed by researchers at Novartis Pharma AG, Basel,
 Switzerland, showed potent activity against Bcr-Abl in laboratory studies. In the Phase I
 clinical trial reported on at the AACR meeting, patients received escalating doses of
 STI571. According to researchers, complete responses were achieved at daily doses of
 300 mg, with minimal side effects in 31/31 of the patients treated. The responding patients
 remain free of disease after a median follow-up of 8-10 months, according to Brian J.
 Druker, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University,
 Portland, OR. However, Dr. Druker cautioned that "if we look closely in their bone
 marrows, we can still see evidence of the leukemia. We are continuing all patients on
 treatment and need to follow them to determine the long-term benefits and side effects of
 this new treatment." Side effects from STI571 have been minimal.

 "These results are surprisingly strong for a Phase I study, which tests safety and patient
 tolerance of a new treatment and, as in this case, usually involves patients who have tried
 other therapies without success. In these circumstances, significant responses are not
 expected," said Dr. Druker.

 Novartis has initiated a 20-center, international Phase II study of STI571 for CML
 patients and is close to meeting a recruitment goal of 600-1,000 patients.

 Researchers are examining STI571's effect against other protein-kinase inhibitors. The
 compound has already demonstrated inhibitory activity against receptors for
 platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which may be involved in glioblastoma, (a rare
 brain tumor), and c-Kit (associated with gastrointestinal stromal tumors), may also play a
 role in small cell lung cancer.

                                 ###

 Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a
 professional organization of more than 15,000 laboratory and clinical scientists engaged in
 cancer research in the United States, Canada, and more than 60 other countries. Working
 to prevent and cure cancer, AACR's principal activities include scientific communications;
 education and training of young scientists; public education; scientific meetings for the
 presentation and discussion of discoveries in the cancer field; international programs; and
 the publication of four major peer-reviewed scientific journals (Cancer Research,
 Clinical Cancer Research, Cell Growth & Differentiation, and Cancer
 Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention).

                                --30--

 "STI571: Targeting Protein-Tyrosine Kinases in a Mechanism-Based Approach
 to the Development of New Cancer Therapies" (Abstract# 3887)
 Elisabeth Buchdunger, Ch. Stiles, and B. Druker
 Poster Session: Tuesday, April 4, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall B-C, Section 15

 News Briefing: Tuesday, April 4, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (PDT)