A team at Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Cancer Institute has become the first in the world to treat a patient with CD19-positive mixed phenotype acute leukemia with a subcutaneous formulation delivery for blinatumomab.
The patient received the first dose Jan. 17 as part of a phase 2 clinical trial, led by Ashkan Emadi, MD, PhD, physician-in-chief of medical oncology at WVU Cancer Institute and chair of the department of medical oncology at WVU School of Medicine, according to a Feb. 17 news release from the health system.
“The patient achieved complete remission with full hematologic recovery, including transfusion independence and the absence of the Philadelphia chromosome [which is] both unprecedented and highly encouraging,” Dr. Emadi said in the release. “The therapy was exceptionally well tolerated and transitioned entirely to the outpatient setting after the first week.”
Only 1% to 3% of leukemias diagnosed are mixed phenotype acute leukemia adults. There are currently no FDA-approved disease specific therapies for this patient population.
WVU Cancer Institute’s phase 2 trial will enroll up to 75 patients to assess if a subcutaneous formulation of the drug can “deliver comparable therapeutic exposure without the burden of continuous IV administration,” the release said.
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