Teva’s drug to replace chemotherapy in acute leukaemia
pharmafile | November 21, 2016 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | Teva, chemotherapy, first line, first-line, leukaemia
Teva Pharmaceutical announced that their drug Trisenox has been given approval from the European Commission to become the first line treatment for Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL) patients in Europe. This is the first time patients with a form of acute leukaemia will be able to be treated effectively without needing to undergo chemotherapy.
Trisenox, in combination with retinoic acid, has been shown to boast a 99% overall survival rate with very few relapses after more than four years of median follow-up.
APL is a rare and aggressive type of acute leukaemia that has the potential to kill within a very short period, days or even hours, if the patient is left untreated. The condition can cause uncontrollable bleeding leading to death, if it is not caught in time. The rapid progression of the disease means that 30% of patients die as a result of lack of treatment. In Europe, there are roughly 1,500 to 2,000 cases of people diagnosed with APL every year.
“Teva is committed to providing wider access to high-quality medicines to ensure more people can benefit from the treatments they need. We’re very pleased by this decision of the European Commission, and we look forward to offering a chemotherapy-free treatment option for all newly diagnosed APL patients,” said Rob Koremans, president & CEO of Teva Global Specialty Medicines.
After a difficult third quarter for Teva, this indication will be welcome positive news.
Ben Hargreaves
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