Results from thalassa-trial, the first pivotal placebo-controlled study examining the benefit of iron chelation with deferasirox (Exjade®, Novartis), an iron chelator, in patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT), show that deferasirox can significantly reduce iron overload. The researchers concluded that the drug is significantly better than placebo at…

Data reported today demonstrating that prolonged treatment with Brentuximab Vedotin (SGN-35; Adcetris™, Seattle Genetics) beyond 16 cycles of therapy was associated with clinically meaningful durations of response with a manageable safety profile. In addition, data were presented showing that Brentuximab Vedotin is a viable option for reducing tumor burden prior to allogeneic stem cell transplant. The data were presented at the…

An experimental drug that works by blocking the export of key control molecules from the nucleus of cancer cells shows promise as a treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other incurable B-cell malignancies, according to a new study by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove…

An estimated 90,000 to 100,000 Americans are affected each year by sickle cell disease (SCD), a serious disorder that causes normal red blood cells to become rigid and form in a crescent “sickle” shape.[1] The abnormal shape of these cells causes them to clump together and become embedded in the blood vessels of organs, causing pain, infection, potential organ damage, and stroke. Even with advancements in drug therapies and prevention methods, safe and effective treatment options…

Results from a multi-center Phase I study that explored multiple dosing schedules of oral azacitidine in 23 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) who were not candidates for other therapies or who had failed previous regimens showed a potential treatment benefit. Findings from this study were presented during the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society…

Interim results from an international, single-arm study ("209 study") evaluating the safety and efficacy of romiplostim (Nplate®, Amgen) in adults with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) - a rare blood disorder - demonstrated that the investigational drug induced a rapid platelet response with a good safety profile in adult ITP patients with low platelet counts and bleeding…

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). In 2010 an estimated 65,540 people in the US were diagnosed with NHL, and follicular lymphoma accounts for between 15 to 20%t of these case. Overall, about 35% of all NHLs in the USA, and 22% worldwide, are diagnosed as FL. [2]



Follicular lymphoma, also called 'indolent' or 'low-grade' lymphoma, is a slow-growing neoplasm arising from follicle center-derived B cells, both…