For Immediate Release
Monday, December 11, 2006

BUFFALO, NY – Patients treated with lenalidomide for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or who have chemo-resistant disease may have a new option for therapy, according to a phase II study conducted at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). 

Asher Chanan-Khan, MD, Department of Medicine, will describe his study at the 48^th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology, December 11, at 12:15 pm*, in Orlando, FL.

“Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common hematologic malignancy in the western hemisphere,” according to Dr. Chanan-Khan, “and remains incurable.” While several phase II studies have demonstrated improved clinical response to chemotherapy alone, or combined with the monoclonal antibody rituximab, relapse is inevitable and treatment options at that point are limited.

Lenalidomide – an immunomodulating cancer drug that is chemically similar to thalidomide – was recently approved for treatment of previously treated multiple myeloma and del 5q-myelodysplastic syndrome, but its clinical efficacy in CLL had not been investigated.

In this phase II study – the first to report clinical activity of lenalidomide in patients with CLL – 45 patients with relapsed or refractory B-CLL were treated with a daily dose of 25 mg of lenalidomide. Clinical responses were observed in 19 (42%) of the patients, with four achieving complete response and 15 achieving a partial response; all with a predictable and manageable safety profile.

“Lenalidomide is clinically active in patients with relapsed or refractory B-CLL as a single agent,” notes Dr. Chanan-Khan. “These data warrant support for further investigation of lenalidomide in confirmatory phase II studies and in combination with other agents currently used to treat CLL.”

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center headquartered in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania and in China. For more information, visit RPCI's website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

-30-

*Dr. Chanan-Khan’s presentation will be part of a Simultaneous Session titled, “Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Therapy: Novel Clinical Approaches,” Monday, December 11 (11 am-12:30 pm).

 

-30-