Living with CML - Chronic myeloid leukaemia: CML and related...

Math Could Help Cure Leukeamia

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:11:03 GMT

This is a really interesting article

“In a recent study that combined math and medicine, researchers have shown that patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) may be cured of the disease with an optimally timed cancer vaccine, where the timing is determined based on their own immune response.”

Math Could Help Cure Leukemia

"Our results suggest that it is not only the drug that sends the leukemia into remission, it's also the natural immune response," Levy said. "After starting imatinib, the anti-leukemia immune response gradually increases. However, it begins to weaken after it reaches a peak. This typically happens well into the treatment."

Not sure my O level maths would be up to the job!

Rob

Technorati Tags: Leukeamia, CML

Couple of interesting CML links

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:37:14 GMT

Combination Of Two Novel Anti-cancer Agents May Help Fight CML Resistant To Current Therapy

'“Our findings suggest it may be possible to develop a clinical regimen combining a third-generation Bcr/Abl kinase and aurora kinase inhibitor, such as MK-0457, with histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as vorinostat," Grant said."’

and

Leukemia Stem Cells Identified

‘"One of the main challenges in cancer biology is to identify cancer stem cells and define the molecular and genetic events required for transforming normal cells into cancer stem cells," said Wu, who also is a researcher at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and senior author of the Nature study. "With this study, we've been able to do that in one type of leukemia."’

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Leukaemia

More news expected about SGX393 this week

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:32:52 GMT

A while ago I blogged about a new CML drug called SGX393 well it looks like there should be some official research published this week sometime according to a number of sources such as the one below

New approach to help control drug resistance in leukemia

"“The effectiveness and safety of Gleevec for most patients remains remarkable,” said Deininger. “However, it is important for patients to know that, with the addition of a drug such as SGX393 to the set of current approved CML drugs, we may have the therapeutic tools to achieve and maintain even more effective and longer control of their cancer. This is not equivalent to a cure, but it could potentially represent an important advance in the management of CML.”-Oregon Health & Science University"

as soon as I spot the official announcements I will pop up some links

Rob :)

Technorati Tags: SGX393, CML, Leukaemia

Share this post :

Genetic Cancer Link Between Humans And Dogs Discovered

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:03:48 GMT

Well I don't have a dog, never had one, not really an animal person so to speak...

But apparently we share more with our canine friends than you might at first think, especially CML wise!

"Cancer researchers at the University of Minnesota and North Carolina State University have found that humans and dogs share more than friendship and companionship -- they also share the same genetic basis for certain types of cancer. Furthermore, the researchers say that because of the way the genomes have evolved, getting cancer may be inevitable for some humans and dogs."

"More specifically, Breen and Modiano found that the genetic changes that occur in dogs diagnosed with certain cancers of the blood and bone marrow, including chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), are virtually identical to genetic abnormalities in humans diagnosed with the same cancers."

Genetic Cancer Link Between Humans And Dogs Discovered

University of Minnesota (2008, February 28). Genetic Cancer Link Between Humans And Dogs Discovered. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 29, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/02/080228112011.htm

Rob - Woof Woof

Technorati Tags: CML, Cancer

Share this post :

Some great and informative videos about CML

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:52:42 GMT

Well I found them interesting, they are very good at explaining CML and its treatments

Thanks to Sandy on http://www.cmlsupport.org.uk for putting up the links, from LeukemiaInnovations.com

Monitoring and Adherence in CML - general info on CML and using Imatinib and monitoring progress through he levels of responses.

Emerging Therapies in CML - discussing where Imatinib doesn't work, where there is intolerance or lots of bad side effects. Including new therapies and drugs...

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Leukaemia, Imatinib

Leukaemia cell culprit discovered

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:57:49 GMT

Last night on the BBC news at 10 there was a quick story (watch the video)on 2 identical sisters one who had developed a child hood leukaemia and one that had not.

'Olivia Murphy, from Bromley in Kent, developed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was two-years old - but so far her twin sister, Isabella, is healthy.

Researchers found they both have "pre-leukaemic stem cells" containing a mutated gene, which forms when the DNA is broken and rejoined at another point.

The pre-leukaemic cells are transferred from one twin to the other in the womb through their shared blood supply.

But it takes another genetic mutation in early childhood for the cells to cause disease.

This second mutation, which may be caused by infection, occurred in Olivia but not Isabella.'

One snippet from the article below that I found note worthy

"About 1% of the population is thought to be born with pre-leukaemia cells. Of these, 1% receive the second "hit" that leads to cancer."

Which means that (by maths) that 0.01% of the population will ever develop Leukaemia yet 1 in a hundred people have the potential to develop it . I have never heard that statistic before and if true really makes you think. Maybe I have misread it....

BBC NEWS | Health | Leukaemia cell culprit discovered

Rob

Technorati Tags: Leukaemia

Major Step Forward In Treating Leukemia (AML)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:46:49 GMT

OK so focusing on AML and not CML but found the following an interesting read

"The scientists found that death-resistant Acute Myeloid Leukaemia cells are given their resistance by a genetic anti-oxidant pathway called hemeoxygenase-1 or HO-1. This resistance pathway leads to relapse of the disease and non-responsiveness to treatments. When this pathway is inhibited, the cells lose their resistance and become responsive to death-inducing agents"

From this 'discovery' they will be able to start to develop drugs and therapies to treat AML.

Discovery Major Step Forward In Treating Leukemia

Rob

Technorati Tags: AML, Leukaemia

Another CML drug...

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:42:39 GMT

In a post last year (wow last year already), I mentioned 2 new CML drugs, well there seems to be another experimental one developed by SGX Pharmaceuticals and the OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University)

"...a new drug candidate, SGX393, has been found to inhibit most resistant mutations, including T315I, both in mouse models and in patient cells in laboratory studies..."

“Remarkably, we found that the combination of SGX393 with either Sprycel or Tasigna completely suppressed resistant growth. Our findings raise the exciting possibility that inhibitor ‘cocktails’ may be sufficient to completely pre-empt drug resistance in CML..."

OHSU Cancer Institute: Drug Candidate Works On CML

Defiantly good news

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Leukaemia, OHSU, SGX393

Scientists Discover New Role For MiRNA In Leukaemia

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:34:21 GMT

A nice little new years link from the wonderful world of the Internet

"Scientists here have found that mini-molecules called micro-RNA may play a critical role in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) from its more treatable chronic phase to a life-threatening phase, called blast crisis."

"These findings are important because they help us understand the biology of blast-crisis CML, and they may help unravel novel pathways responsible for the initiation and progression of leukemia generally"

Scientists Discover New Role For MiRNA In Leukemia (1/1/2008)

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Leukaemia

More Good News From Gleevec

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:20:26 GMT

Not only is Imatinib good for CML, GIST and Pediatric, it is also good for 5 additional rare cancers...

More Good News From Gleevec

'While it has been reported to have saved more than 100,000 lives, Gleevec is now saving more children with a dire leukemia (Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) ), as well as preventing disease progression with long term use in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).'

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Leukaemia, Imatinib, Gleevec, Ph+ ALL

2 More CML drugs

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:15:48 GMT

Omacetaxine from ChemGex, In a study of 21 patients "- Complete Hematological and/or Complete Cytogenetic Responses in 64% of Chronic Phase Patients", thanks to David on Http;//www.cmlsupport.org.uk for the spot.

and also...

Bosutinib from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals "Bosutinib has shown good efficacy and very little toxicity compared to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors at this stage of the clinical trial," says lead researcher Jorge Cortes, M.D., professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Leukaemia.

Good news all around

Rob

Technorati Tags: Omacetaxine, Bosutinib, CML, Leukaemia

Re-engineered Gleevec™, Reduces Cardio Risks

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:34:52 GMT

'In a new study, it has been reported that the re-engineered Gleevec™ is just as effective as the original version against gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) but carrying significantly less risk of heart failure.'

So good news if you have taking Imatinib for GIST, but not sure if applicable to those with CML...

WBZ-4: Re-engineered Gleevec™, Reduces Cardio Risks

Rob

Technorati Tags: Imatinib, Gleevec

Got a reply from my MP

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:58:25 GMT

Very impressed in the time to respond to the letter I sent last week from my local MP Andrew Mackay

the wording on the response was

'Thank you for your letter on the 16th November which i read with considerable interest. i think you are making some important points particularly about a postcode lottery which needs to be immediately addressed by the Secretary of State.

I have written to him today and will be in touch with you as soon as I have received a response.

With Best wishes....'

So great for the super fast response, and the promise of a follow up.

Also Sarah thinks she has met him at her school and thought he was a nice bloke, so maybe he will get our votes at the next election :S

Rob

Technorati Tags: Andrew Mackay

I've written to My MP

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:15:15 GMT

The hard part was finding out who my MP was, kind of knew but couldn't remember his name, so I used UpMyStreet Web Site and quickly found out who it was. In my case the Rt Hon Andrew Mackay. I write to him (see letter below) following the thead on www.cmlsupport.org.uk

NICE appraisal of Dasatinib/Nilotinib-please write to your MP

you can get a copy of the letter template here

Will post any response I get.

Rob

Technorati Tags: Dasatinib, Nilotinib, CML, Andrew Mackay

Dear Mr Mackay

Re: NHS Drug Funding – Dasatinib and Nilotinib as Topics for NICE appraisal.

In answer to my enquiry to NICE via their website suggesting the above named drugs as topics for appraisal, I have recently received an email from NICE in which they say:

“NICE reviews all suggestions to ensure they are appropriate and to check whether they are already included in its work. We have recently received a ‘minded referral’ from health ministers on the following topics which are likely to incorporate your topic suggestion.

Dasatinib and Nilotinib for Imatinib resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia. Remit: To appraise the clinical and cost effectiveness of Dasatinib and Nilotinib for Imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia…”

”When we receive a minded referral, we carry out an initial consultation to examine the remit in more detail. Comments from the consultation are then passed back to the health ministers to enable them to make a final decision on whether they will ask us to produce guidance on the topic. “

This is good news for CML patients and I am grateful to NICE and the Department of Health for this positive step. In the meantime however, it is increasingly clear that a post-code lottery in relation to Dasatinib exists in England and Wales (unlike Scotland where this drug has been approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium and is freely accessible to Glivec intolerant/resistant chronic stage CML patients).

There is also an urgent need to make Nilotinib available after the clinical trials process finishes, so that specialist clinicians have the full range of therapies available to them in order to treat their CML patients effectively throughout England and Wales.

Given the clinical needs of the small number of Glivec resistant and/or intolerant CML patients in England and Wales, I would be very grateful for your help in bringing this matter to the attention of the health ministers within the DH.

I am very concerned that the NICE topic approval process for the appraisal of both of these life saving drugs, will be unduly delayed which will cause further distress to the small number of CML patients who urgently need an alternative therapy to Glivec. Both Dasatinib (Sprycel) and Nilotinib (Tasigna) have proven to be highly efficacious in dealing with resistant CML.

An agreement by the health ministers for both drugs to enter the NICE appraisal process needs to be progressed with some urgency if we are to overcome the unacceptable situation which exists in some regions of England and Wales, where CML patients are being refused access to clinically effective life saving therapy.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter,

400mg Tablet of Imatinib

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:54:15 GMT

not to scale!

Rob

Technorati Tags: Imatinib, Gleevec

Couple of links on Imatinib etc

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:52:05 GMT

Your Failed Blockbuster Drug Is My Nichebuster Therapy

'Gleevec is a lesson in how pharmacogenomics isn’t just going to involve creating new drug molecules; it will also require ew tools applied to old drugs, tools that can separate signal from noise and turn failures into success'

Gleevec®, Proven Safe and Effective Over The Long Term

'With a six-year follow-up, the estimated six-year survival rate is 76 percent. In historical data, after interferon failure the average survival was about three to four years'

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Imatinib, Gleevec, Leukaemia

If you have smallpox keep taking the Gleevec

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:31:22 GMT

Becuase if you have the smallpox medicine/vaccine then Imatinib can help prevent the side effects, apparently...

'The findings, say the investigators, suggest that Gleevec or similar drugs might be useful in preventing adverse side effects of smallpox vaccine. The classic smallpox vaccine is made from live, weakened vaccinia virus and is not recommended for people with compromised immunity, except in emergency situations where they may have been exposed to smallpox virus. '

Rob

Technorati Tags: Imatinib, gleevec, small pox

Tasigna Approved for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in the US

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:46:54 GMT

And hopefully in the UE later this year (according to the press release)

Tasigna Approved for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia - Yahoo! News

Official News Release from Novartis

Interesting last paragraph (yahoo link) about avoiding food 2 hours before and 1 hour after taking it. Something to do with increasing the amount of the drug being int he blood stream.

Rob

Technorati Tags: Tasigna, Novartis

Killing Leukemia Stem Cells While They Sleep

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:00:09 GMT

I spotted this over on the Gold tablet Blog, which highlights some recent research that

'...indicates that Imatinib could cure CML under certain circumstances if it is taken over a long enough period of time.'

Gold Tablet Blog Day » Killing Leukemia Stem Cells While They Sleep

The gold tablet article mentions the source of this information over at PLoS - (Public Library of Science) , is a resource I have never heard of before and is oneof those things that really show off the power of the Internet in sharing information that in the past would be almost impossible for someone like myself to have access to.

PLoS is

'...a nonprofit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource.'

The full article is available at Effect of Cellular Quiescence on the Success of Targeted CML Therapy

The conclusion of the reearch, if you can decipher some of the wordings is

'The mathematical models provide insights into the effect of quiescence on the basic kinetics of the response to targeted treatment of CML. They identify determinants of success in the absence of drug resistant mutants, and elucidate how quiescence influences the emergence of drug resistant mutants'

Also of note is that on the Board of Directors is one Dr Druker

Rob

Technorati Tags: CML, Imatinib, PloS

EMEA approves new starting dose for SPRYCEL in chronic myeloid leukaemia

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:49:56 GMT

Although not effected by this news as not taking Sprycel / Dsatinib it is interesting reading

so rather than having 70mg twice a day a daily tablet has a lot of benefits

- Response rates comparable to the 70mg twice daily dose
- Improvement in the incidence and the severity of adverse events compared to the 70mg twice daily dose
- Simple and convenient dosing making it easier for patients to take their treatment
- Sprycel does not need to be taken with food
- There are no fasting requirements before or after taking Sprycel
- Sprycel can be taken consistently either in the morning or at night

EMEA approves new starting dose for SPRYCEL in chronic myeloid leukaemia

and with relation to my previous post should make the cost for dasatinib and more in line with a daily 400mg dose of Imatinib (gleevec)

I wonder as this (dasatanib) becomes cheaper, will it get prescribed before Imatinib as a first line of treatment? and or Imatinib costs get reduced accordingly...

Rob

Technorati Tags: dasatinib, imatinib, gleevec, sprycel

Yikes its expensive!

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:25:52 GMT

Nice posting from Paul on http://www.cmlsupport.org.uk about the relative costs of Imatinib and Dasatinib

"The cost of 30 days treatment with 70mg of dasatinib(Sprycel) is £2,606(£31,714 per year) per patient.
This cost is equivalent to 650mg of imatinib (Glivec).
In the chronic phase of cml, the recommended dose of imatinib is 400mg once daily, and of dasatinib is 70mg twice daily. The highest indicated dose of imatinib is 800mg at a cost of £3,208 for 30 days treatment (£39,030 per patient per year)"

Comparative costs Dasatinib vs Imatinib (Spr ycel /Glivec) | CMLSupport.org.uk

Rob

Technorati Tags: dasatinib, imatinib

EU Agency Backs Tasigna for CML

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:18:33 GMT

Spotted this on one of my regular feeds about tasigna which is one of the next generation of CML drugs and its approval by the The European Medicines Agency for CML sufferers who have resistance to Imatinib

Pharmaceutical News and Articles: EU Agency Backs Tasigna for CML

I am not sure exactly what that means in real terms, and sounds like one of those hurdles needed to get a drug on an approved list somewhere, but it sounds positive rather than negative so

Rob

Technorati Tags: tasigna

Heart Failure Is Rare Among Leukemia Patients On Imatinib

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:02:34 GMT

So one less thing to worry about, not that I was worried about it

Heart Failure Is Rare Among Leukemia Patients On Imatinib - Medical News Today

"Congestive heart failure rarely occurs among leukemia patients who take imatinib, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center found after an exhaustive review of the detailed medical histories of 1,276 patients who enrolled in clinical trials for the drug."

One interesting snippet which is a number higher than I have read about in the past is "The five-year survival rate of patients taking imatinib is 95 percent" whihc is higher than the numbers I have read in the past...

Thanks to Patricia over on the Cancer Blog for the spot

Rob

Technorati Tags: Imatinib

Gleevec Researcher Lambasts Novartis Pricing

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:46:29 GMT

Spotted this on one of my searches over on http://www.pharmalot.com

'Brian Druker, chair of Leukemia research and professor of medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University Cancer Institute, was the key researcher behind the discovery of Novartis’ imatinib, or Gleevec. But in an essay on LiveMint.com, he chastises the drugmaker for pricing that causes him “considerable discomfort'

'the price at which imatinib has been offered for sale by Novartis around the world has caused me considerable discomfort. Pharmaceutical companies that have invested in the development of medicines should achieve a return on their investments. But this does not mean the abuse of these exclusive rights by excessive prices and seeking patents over minor changes to extend monopoly prices. This goes against the spirit of the patent system and is not justified given the vital investments made by the public sector over decades that make the discovery of these medicines possible.'

Gleevec Researcher Lambasts Novartis Pricing

Personally I don't know where you should draw the line around pricing of drugs, should this be left to government/regulatory bodies/pharmaceutical companys to set the pricing, or in fact how much profit Novartis make on Imatinib worldwide, but if what Dr Drucker is saying is true, and I have no reason to doubt that then it isn't the best of tastes left in the mouth! In country's with no real healthcare system or where people are unable to get drugs due to the high cost it must not be such a great place to be.

Now the British National Health Service (NHS) is far from being a perfect organisation, but I am very grateful that I can get this expensive drugs for free (well except for the £6.85 prescription charge!). Of course I have been contributing to the NHS, through national insurance for the last 16 years but I don't think my contributions over the years will stack up to having to take Imatinib for the rest of my life!

Rob :(

Technorati Tags: Brian Drucker, Novartis, Imatinib, Gleevec, CML, Leukaemia

Imatinib & Dasatinib at the same time?

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:21:33 GMT

In the next issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation there is a report on a study by researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York

'now suggest that treating patients with a combination of the drugs might decrease the chance of the cancer returning, or at the very least increase the time before a relapse occurs'

'The authors therefore suggest that rather than treating CML patients with the drugs that target BCR-ABL sequentially, they should receive all the drugs when they are first diagnosed with the disease so that the emergence of the drug-resistant forms of BCR-ABL might be prevented, or at least delayed'

From http://www.physorg.com - Can cancer drugs combine forces?

Rob

Technorati Tags: Imatinib, Dasatinib, CML, Leukaemia

Imatinib is nothing more than Poison

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 13:57:50 GMT

My home and work life have been very hectic over the past week or so, hence very little time to blog, plus on a personal POV there isn't much to say on a CML front. I seem to be coping ok with the Imatinib, the cramps have largely gone away however they still come back and this morning I had awful pain in my ankle as it cramped out at 6:30 am, ouch!

But anyway I cam across this article today which was an interesting read, if not totally followable on my part

"According to his novel yet controversial “chromosomal” theory of cancer, which is receiving increased attention among cancer researchers, each cancer is unique, and there is no magic bullet."

“The mutation theory of cancer says that a limited number of genes causes cancer, so cancers should all be more or less the same,” Duesberg said. The chromosomal theory, which he laid out in an article in the May 2007 issue of Scientific American, implies instead that, “even if cancers are from the same tissue, and are generated with the same carcinogen, they are never the same. There is always a cytogenetic and a biochemical individuality in every cancer.”

'Duesberg even argues that the anti-leukemia drug imatinib (Gleevec®), the poster child for rational drug design once hailed as a therapy that would make drug resistance a thing of the past, has been rendered less useful because the aneuploid nature of leukemia has led to resistance. In fact, he said, this resistance suggests that imatinib is not a highly targeted drug, as advertised, but just another cell “poison” that happens to kill more leukemia cells than normal cells.'

Support for chromosomal theory of cancer found in cancers' development of drug resistance

Personally I will keep taking my Poison...

Rob

Technorati Tags: cancer, cml, leukaemia, imatinib, chromosomal theory