ChemGenex’s Omapro™ Featured During ASH Oral Session
December 08 2009 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX:CXS) announced today
updated clinical data showing that Omapro™ (omacetaxine
mepesuccinate) produced durable hematologic and cytogenetic
responses in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who are
resistant or intolerant to two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors
(TKI). New data were presented at the 51st Annual American Society
of Hematology Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
At the Oral Session titled “Chronic Myeloid Leukemia - Therapy:
New Trends in Management,” Dr. Jorge Cortes, MD, Professor of
Medicine and Deputy Chair in the Department of Leukemia at The
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a lead
investigator in the study, presented data on behalf of ChemGenex
and a team of investigators from leading U.S. and European clinical
research centers. Completing his presentation, Dr. Cortes concluded
that Omapro represents a new potential therapy for patients with
multi-TKI resistant CML.
Data were presented from 89 CML patients: 44 in chronic phase,
25 in accelerated phase and 20 in blast phase. Highlights of the
data were:
- Complete hematologic responses
(CHR) in 82% of chronic phase patients, median response duration
4.8 months
- Cytogenetic response rate of 27%
in chronic phase patients, with major cytogenetic response (MCyR)
rate of 23%
- Overall hematologic responses in
80% of accelerated phase patients, with 52% achieving a CHR (median
duration 3.1 months).
- Overall hematologic responses in
50% of blast phase patients with 35% achieving a CHR (median
duration 2.5 months)
- Investigators reported that
omacetaxine is safe for self-administration, is well tolerated, and
that reversible and manageable myelosuppression is the most common
side effect
“Omapro continues to show that it may provide clinical benefit
for CML patients who have developed resistance to currently
approved therapies independent of the T315I point mutation” said
Greg Collier, Ph.D., Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
of ChemGenex. “We would like to thank Dr. Cortes and all of our
investigators for their efforts to complete this trial.”
About the Study
The study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of
subcutaneously (SC) administered omacetaxine in patients who are
resistant or intolerant to two or more TKIs. Eligible patients were
adult CML patients in chronic, accelerated, or blast disease phase
(CP, AP, BP). Patients were given 1.25 mg/m2 SC omacetaxine twice
daily for 14 days every 28 days until hematologic response for
induction therapy. For maintenance therapy, patients were dosed
1.25 mg/m2 SC omacetaxine twice daily for 7 days every 28 days.
Eighty nine patients were described in this presentation (44 CP, 25
AP and 20 BP). The median age was 59 years (20-78) with a median
CML disease duration of 72, 92 and 60 months in CP, AP and BP
patients, respectively.
About Omapro™ (omacetaxine mepesuccinate)
Omacetaxine mepesuccinate is administered subcutaneously and
acts differently from TKIs. It may have a therapeutic advantage for
patients who have failed TKIs. Omacetaxine is currently in global
phase 2/3 clinical trials for CML and has been granted Orphan Drug
designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) as well as Fast Track status by
the FDA.
Omacetaxine is a first-in-class cetaxine with demonstrated
clinical activity as a single agent in a range of hematological
malignancies. Omacetaxine has a novel mechanism of action,
specifically binding to the ribosomal A-site cleft and inhibiting
protein translation of short-lived oncoproteins that are
upregulated in leukemic cells (particularly Cyclin-D1, Mcl-1 and
c-Myc). In addition, pre-clinical research presented at the 14th
Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Berlin,
Germany this summer, demonstrated that omacetaxine kills human CML
stem cells that are known to be insensitive to TKIs.
About Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a cancer of the bone marrow
with a worldwide prevalence of approximately 200,000 patients. The
bone marrow is responsible for the production of specialized cells
that constitute blood; these cells include red blood cells (to
carry oxygen around the body), thrombocytes (to help stop bleeding)
and certain white cells (part of the body’s defense system against
infection). In patients with CML the cell production system is
diseased and defective. Cells multiply uncontrollably and do not
fully develop (differentiate) into functional blood cells.
About ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited
ChemGenex is an oncology focused biopharmaceutical company
developing small molecules with new mechanisms of action to treat
malignancies with significant unmet medical needs. The company is
developing omacetaxine, its lead product candidate, for the
treatment of patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Acute
Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). A New
Drug Application has been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration and a Marketing Authorisation Application has been
validated by the European Medicines Agency for CML patients with
the Bcr-Abl T315I mutation. The corporate strategy for ChemGenex is
to commercialize omacetaxine independently in North America and to
establish commercial partnerships in the rest of the world.
ChemGenex currently trades on the Australian Stock Exchange under
the symbol "CXS." For additional information on ChemGenex
Pharmaceuticals, please visit the company’s website at
http://www.chemgenex.com.
Details on the clinical trials can be accessed from the
following websites:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00375219?term=homoharringtonine&rank=9
and
http://www.tkiresistantcmltrials.com
Omapro™ is a trademark of ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited
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