2006: A Year of Research Advances

[الدكتور أحمد باذيب]

	2006: A Year of Research Advances Ever year, the Society and the blood-cancer research community eagerly await the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, an event brimming with exciting presentations and glimpses into the future of therapies and potential cures. Hundreds of the world’s top scientists and clinicians attend this prestigious conference, creating an air of promise and hope. The 48th ASH meeting, held earlier this month in Orlando, FL, was no exception. Scores of studies, many of them funded by the Society, pointed to fascinating advances in the world of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research. From effective drug combinations for myeloma to hopeful therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), ASH reinforced my conviction that we’re on the cusp of some extraordiy innovations. Here are a few highlights: An interim analysis has found that a combination of the drugs Doxil® (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection) and Velcade® (bortezomib) provides a nearly three-month improvement in time-to-disease progression in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients versus Velcade alone. This means that patients who received a combination of the two drugs had 45 percent less risk of their disease progressing – a remarkable improvement considering that myeloma is the most difficult blood cancer to treat successfully. The lead investigator was Robert Z. Orlowski, M.D., Ph.D., a University of North Carolina researcher and Society grant recipient. Revlimid® (lenalidomide) showed promise in at least two studies presented at ASH. In one trial, patients with myelodysplastic syndromes who were treated with Revlimid were living longer and without the need for blood transfusions. Another study suggested that Revlimid, which is approved to treat myleoma, may be effective against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Biogen Idec Inc. reported that its experimental leukemia drug, lumiliximab, showed promise in treating CLL. The drug apparently increased the percentage of patients in a clinical trial who experienced a complete elimination of their symptoms. Finally, Novartis announced that its experimental leukemia drug Tasigna works in about half of all patients who develop resistance to Gleevec®, the leading drug for the most common type of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).