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News - July, 2008

The Rocky Mountain Blood and Marrow Transplant Program is committed to ongoing education in the field. We are providing the latest treatment and research news around our program for patients and their caregivers and physicians.

07-25-2008   CTI to Meet With the FDA to Discuss Filing of a Supplemental Biologics License Application for Zevalin(R)

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the Company has scheduled a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September to discuss the possibility of filing a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for use of Zevalin(R) ([90Y]-ibritumomab tiuxetan) as consolidation therapy after remission induction in previously untreated patients with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The basis for the filing would be data from the First-line Indolent Trial that CTI recently gained access to through an agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma.


07-25-2008   Ofatumumab Promising in Refractory Follicular Lymphoma (external link)

The human monoclonal antibody ofatumumab was well tolerated by patients with relapsed or refractory follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a Phase 1 / 2 safety and efficacy trial, according to European researchers.


07-21-2008   OSI Pharmaceuticals Begins Clinical Development Program for OSI-027 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase I clinical trial of OSI-027, an oral, potent and selective inhibitor of both the TORC1 and TORC2 complexes that inhibits the kinase activity associated with mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). The study is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to establish the recommended dose and dosing schedule for Phase II trials, and will evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic profiles of OSI-027. Preclinical studies demonstrated that orally administered OSI-027 has the potential for anti-tumor efficacy in a broad range of human cancers that depend on the mTOR pathway for tumor growth and survival, such as ovarian, colorectal, breast, lung, prostate and brain cancers, in addition to lymphoma.


07-17-2008   Spicy Pickle(TM) Teams With Leukemia & Lymphoma Society In 'Hike For Discovery' Fundraiser On July 18

Spicy Pickle(TM) fast casual restaurants oday announced it will be holding a fundraiser on Friday, July 18, to benefit the Rocky Mountain Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and its Hike For Discovery(TM) program. Throughout the day on July 18, 12% of all sales generated by Boulder's two Spicy Pickle restaurants at 2660 Pearl Street and 2520 Broadway will be added to the funds raised by Boulder area hikers taking part in the chapter's Hike For Discovery hike in the Rocky Mountain National Park on September 6. 0.63, +0.09, +16.7%) today announced it will be holding a fundraiser on Friday, July 18, to benefit the Rocky Mountain Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and its Hike For Discovery(TM) program. Throughout the day on July 18, 12% of all sales generated by Boulder's two Spicy Pickle restaurants at 2660 Pearl Street and 2520 Broadway will be added to the funds raised by Boulder area hikers taking part in the chapter's Hike For Discovery hike in the Rocky Mountain National Park on September 6.


07-16-2008   Journal of Clinical Oncology Publishes Study of Cephalon Medication TREANDA Plus Rituximab in Relapsed Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Cephalon, Inc. announced today that in a phase 2 study published online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, 92 percent of patients with relapsed indolent B-cell and mantle cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) responded to treatment with TREANDA(R) (bendamustine hydrochloride) for Injection plus rituximab.


07-14-2008   Hana Biosciences' Marqibo Receives Orphan Designation From European Commission for the Treatment of Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Hana Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company focused on strengthening the foundation of cancer care, today announced that the European Commission has granted orphan medical product designation to Marqibo(r) (vincristine sulfate injection, OPTISOME(tm)) for the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This designation was granted based on the recommendation of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) following a positive opinion from the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products.


07-14-2008   Proteolix Initiates Phase 1b Clinical Trial of Carfilzomib in a Combination Regimen for Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma

Proteolix, Inc. today announced that patient dosing has commenced in a Phase 1b clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Proteolix's lead anti-cancer agent, carfilzomib (PR-171), in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Carfilzomib selectively blocks proteasome activity, causing apoptosis in cancer cells. In single agent Phase 1 studies carfilzomib has demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor activity and has been generally well tolerated.


07-10-2008   Cancer drug shows promise against graft vs. host disease

A new University of Michigan study in mice suggests that a drug recently approved to fight cancer tumors is also able to reduce the effects of graft-versus-host disease, a common and sometimes fatal complication for people who have had bone marrow transplants.


07-08-2008   Aggressive form of lymphoma on the rise: U.S. study (external link)

An aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is on the rise, most commonly affecting men, Caucasians and older people, says a study.


07-08-2008   Genome Sequencer FLX System plus NimbleGen Sequence Capture Arrays Help Unravel the Cryptic Genetic Changes in Hematological Malignancies

The Cancer Genomics Group at Barts and The London Medical School is researching leukemia with the aquisition of the state-of-the-art Genome Sequencer FLX System paired with the Roche NimbleGen Sequence Capture arrays. Researchers, led by Professor Brian Young, will use the combined technology of 454 Sequencing and NimbleGen Sequence Capture Arrays to uncover the genetic changes that are involved in the development of leukemia. The new sequence information will be linked to an existing extensive clinical and cytogenetic database to investigate the relationship between genetic change and the clinical features of this devastating disease. The researchers expect that the new data could have implications for the future therapy and clinical outcome of hematological malignancies.


07-08-2008   Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors show higher risk of second cancers (external link)

Survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer that tends to affect the young, face a higher risk of developing other forms of cancer later in life, researchers have found.


07-07-2008   Early findings show promise as AS1411 AML study proceeds to higher-dose stage

Cancer drug developer Antisoma plc today announces initial findings from its phase II trial of AS1411 in relapsed and refractory AML (acute myeloid leukaemia).


07-07-2008   New treatment approach promising for lymphoma patients in the developing world

Preliminary results suggest that patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the developing world might benefit from a modified chemotherapy regimen, researchers say.


07-02-2008   Lorus Therapeutics Announces Publication of a Clinical Study Demonstrating Encouraging Results with LOR-2040 in Combination with Cytarabine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Lorus Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of cancer, today announced publication by an Ohio State University (OSU) clinical team of a paper entitled "Phase I Study of GTI-2040, an Antisense to Ribonucleotide Reductase, in Combination with High-Dose Cytarabine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia" (Clinical Cancer Research 2008; 14 (12): 3889-3895). This was the first clinical study in AML with GTI-2040, now known as LOR-2040.


07-02-2008   USC researchers identify tumor suppressor that manages cellular cleaning and recycling proceses

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified a specific tumor suppressor that manages membrane traffic routes for cellular cleaning and recycling


07-01-2008   http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/biowissenschaften_chemie/bericht-113139.html (external link)

During the course of her PhD studies, Randi Sørby demonstrated that ellipsoids, small filtering units for blood in the spleen, might be significant in the development of AA amyloidosis.During the course of her PhD studies, Randi Sørby demonstrated that ellipsoids, small filtering units for blood in the spleen, might be significant in the development of AA amyloidosis.