Bristol Myers Squibb gets accelerated approval for CML drug

American pharmaceuticals company Bristol-Myers Squibb has revealed it has received accelerated approval for its anti-cancer drug, Sprycel.

The drug has been approved for two diseases – chronic myeloid leukaemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic (CML) leukaemia (Ph+ALL) – and will be available for use in the US within days.

Sprycel is an oral kinase inhibitor and is intended for use in cases where imatinib drugs like Glivec have been resisted by the cancerous cells after a period of treatment. This resistance tends to build up in Ph+All patients more quickly than in CML patients, even CML patients in the “blast phase” of the disease, where the production of cancerous cells becomes very high.

Kinase inhibitors like Sprycel are designed to block certain type of kinases that can cause the overproduction of leukaemia cells in bone marrow. Stopping this process allows the production of normal red and white blood cells and platelets.

Peter R Dolan, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s chief executive officer, remarked: “Sprycel builds on our company’s long legacy of providing innovative oncology medicines to patients around the world.”

“Discovered and developed in our own research facilities, Sprycel is a key part of our robust pipeline of anti-cancer compounds that holds the promise of further inroads in the struggle against this terrible disease.”

CML is often treated using a bone marrow transplant as well as drug therapy. According to the Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia European Support Group, bone marrow transplants are the only type of therapy known to have cured some patients.

© Adfero Ltd