Bristol-Myers Squibb reports positive trial data for Sprycel

Bristol-Myers Squibb has published new clinical data which highlights the advantages of its leukaemia drug Sprycel when compared to the alternative treatment Gleevec.

The biopharmaceutical company, in association with partner Otsuka, conducted a phase III study which evaluated the efficacy of the treatment compared to Gleevec among patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

It was found that Sprycel demonstrated a 77 per cent rate of confirmed complete cytogenetic response among patients, compared to 66 per cent among the group trialled using Gleevec.

In addition, rates of overall adverse events and discontinuations were comparable between both treatments.

Dr Hagop Kantarjian of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who led the study, said: “Achieving a complete cytogenetic response rate by 12 months is important because data suggests that there is an increased risk of disease progression in CML patients who do not attain this treatment goal.”

This comes in the same week that Bristol-Myers Squibb also reported positive trial results for ipilimumab, its investigational therapy for metastatic melanoma.