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Novartis makes progress with myeloid leukaemia drug

Novartis
Novartis sees promising signs for its new leukemia treatment. © Keystone / Patrick Straub

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has observed in a clinical trial the superiority of its Scemblix over the current standard of care for patients diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia after 48 weeks. 

The firm said on Monday that intends to submit applications for approval during the year. 

+ More Swiss people get cancer but fewer are dying

The currently experimental treatment has demonstrated a significant response rate both statistically and clinically, thus meeting the two primary evaluation criteria set for the Asc4first program, assures the Basel group in a press release, without time to detail the extent of these advantages.  

Scemblix (asciminib) also has a more favorable safety profile than the cocktail of imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib and bosutinib (TKIs), generally administered to these patients. 

Novartis plans to detail the results obtained at an upcoming medical conference. In the meantime, the laboratory points out that more than 60% of people with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia fail to show a molecular response to TKIs after one year and that the side effects of this type of treatment burden lead a quarter of patients to abandon treatment before five years. 

The Asc4first program continues, with a new update planned when data on 96 weeks of treatment is available. 

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