Before the advent of drugs based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the “Philadelphia positive” lymphoblastic leukemia it was considered one of the worst prognosis forms of leukemia. Now, at the Policlinico di Milano, it is being tested a new therapy that would allow “an overall survival of 95% at 18 months”, a success that significantly improves the results of the treatments applied to date.
HOW THE NEW THERAPY WORKS
The new treatment does not use chemotherapy in the initial stages of therapy, but the combination of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (dasatinib) and an antibody (blinatumomab).
To demonstrate this preliminary effectiveness is a study published in the scientific journal New England Journal Medicine, which he sees among its authors Nicola Fracchiolla, responsible of Acute leukemia program of the Hematology Unit of the Milan PolyclinicO.
The Hematology of the Polyclinic, directed by Luca Baldini, participates in the research team Gimema (Italian Group of Adult Hematological Diseases), which coordinated the study. «This publication – explains Nicola Fracchiolla – is an extraordinary choral experience and an important recognition of the commitment of our Unit in the diagnosis and treatment of acute leukemia. The phase 2 study describes a new treatment regimen that does not use chemotherapy in the early stages of treatment for Philadelphia positive lymphoblastic leukemia, but combines a molecular target therapy targeting specific tumor mechanisms, dasatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, with pure immunotherapy based on a bi-specific antibody, blinatumomab. According to published data, this combination made it possible to obtain an overall survival of 95% e disease-free survival of 88% at 18 months from diagnosis “.
The results of the study, according to the authors, were obtained with «surprisingly few toxic effects due to therapy and with very short periods of hospitalization“. The data will now have to be expanded and confirmed by new trials, but for experts, a possible new era in the treatment of Philadelphia positive lymphoblastic leukemia could start right here.
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