Acute Leukemia News

• FDA Approved Record Number of Drugs in 2018 The FDA approved 59 novel drugs last year, including 19 first-in-class agents, 34 novel drugs for rare diseases, and a record seven biosimilars.
  Medscape Medical News, January 2019
• Alert FDA Approves First-Ever Drug for Rare Cancer For the first time, the FDA has approved a drug for use specifically for the treatment of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), a rare disease with skin and leukemic involvement.
  FDA Approvals, December 2018
• Alert FDA Approves New Enzyme Product for ALL The FDA has granted approval for a new enzyme product, calaspargase pegol-mknl, to be used in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
  FDA Approvals, December 2018
• After Chemo, Risk of Tx-Related Blood Cancer Higher Than Thought Risk of therapy-related blood cancers is exponentially higher than previously supposed, says researchers from the National Cancer Institute.
  Medscape Medical News, December 2018
• ASH 2018Model Improves Predictions of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Prognosis For patients with myelodyplastic syndrome, a machine-learning model provides a look into the future and can predict outcomes for each individual.
  Medscape Medical News, December 2018
• ASH 2018Luspatercept Reduces Blood Transfusions in MDS and Beta-Thalassemia A novel agent reduced the need for blood transfusions in two separate patient populations: myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and beta-thalassemia.
  Medscape Medical News, December 2018
• ASH 2018CAR T Cells: 'Validation That They Keep Living and Keep Working' New longer-term data on CAR T cells from pivotal clinical trials show durable responses, with some patients remaining in remission for years after one infusion.
  Medscape Medical News, December 2018
• Alert FDA Warns About Serious Adverse Effect of AML Drug Enasidenib A life-threatening adverse effect called differentiation syndrome is not being recognized in patients receiving the acute myeloid leukemia drug enasidenib, says the FDA.
  News Alerts, November 2018
• Alert FDA Approves Gilteritinib for FLT3+ Acute Myeloid Leukemia The FDA's approval is for the first drug targeting FLT3 mutations in AML.
  FDA Approvals, November 2018
• How Microsoft Aims to Help 'Solve the Problem' of Cancer Software giant Microsoft has entered the healthcare arena, and improving cancer care and diagnostics is high on its list.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2018
• ASH 2018What's Hot at This Year's ASH Meeting? Big results from big trials in leukemia and lymphoma will be presented and are 'almost certainly going to be practice changing,' says American Society of Hematology (ASH) Secretary Robert Brodsky, MD.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2018
• Alert FDA Approves New Oral Drug for AML Pfizer's Daurismo Improves Overall Survival in Newly Diagnosed Patients Aged 75+
  FDA Approvals, November 2018
• Alert EU Changes Mind on Nivo Plus Ipi for Kidney Cancer Positive opinions were given for the first-line use of the immunotherapy combination nivolumab and ipilimumab in kidney cancer and for an extension of indication for blinatumomab in certain leukemia patients.
  International Approvals, November 2018
• Why Do Some AML Patients Relapse After Stem Cell Transplant? Stem cell transplants can be curative. A new study shows that patients with acute myeloid leukemia who relapse after transplant show dysregulation in genes associated with adaptive and innate immunity.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2018
• A Novel Treatment Approach for PML Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, caused by the JC virus, has no known treatment. A new study offers a novel approach using T-cell infusions from the more treatable BK virus.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• MDS 2018Parkinson's Kinetigraph Provides Clues for Better Therapy The Parkinson's Kinetigraph measures movements and assesses medication compliance in the home setting. It has provided data that have changed patient management in a third of cases, a trial shows.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• MDS 2018Centrally Mediated Pain Common in Parkinson's Disease Pain is common in Parkinson's disease, but peripheral factors may not be to blame. Central factors are an important cause of pain so may require centrally acting drugs, a large study suggests.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• CAR T-Cell Therapy for Pediatric Leukemia Is Cost-effective A new analysis shows that, despite its exorbitant price tag, the CAR T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel for pediatric leukemia appears to be cost-effective.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2018
• Affimed Puts on Hold Cancer Drug Trial After Patient Death Drug developer Affimed N.V. on Monday put on hold the testing of its experimental cancer drug following the death of a patient and two life-threatening events.
  Reuters Health Information, October 2018
• Low Research Participation, Shorter Therapy Tied to ALL Relapse in Young Adults Acute lymphoblastic anemia (ALL) is more likely to relapse in adolescents and young adults (AYAs; ages 15-39) than in children, and lower clinical trial enrollment and shorter therapy course are associated factors, researchers say.
  Reuters Health Information, October 2018