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Geelong Cancer drug trial results promising

Jessica Craven

02Apr08

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A GEELONG biotechnology company is a step closer to commercialising its new leukemia drug, which could help 30,000 sufferers worldwide, after promising results in clinical trials.

ChemGenex managing director Greg Collier said 86 per cent of patients had shown a positive response from the latest phase of ongoing trials for the drug Omacetaxine (formerly known as Ceflatonin).

The drug aims to treat chronic myeloid leukemia sufferers for whom chemotherapy has been unsuccessful.

"CML patients have been treated with a drug called Glivec which has been a success but there are some patients who have developed a resistance to that drug," Dr Collier said.

"These patients have failed all existing therapies so to have 86 per cent of participants approaching a point where they are free of the disease is a very exciting result."

Omacetaxine uses chemically-modified extracts of leaves from the Japanese yew tree grown in a plantation in China.

Patients self-administer the drug via injection twice a day for one week each month.

ChemGenex will seek approval for the drug with the US regulatory agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and then with Australia's Therapeutic Drugs Administration (TGA) early next year.

ChemGenex owns all patents to Omacetaxine but Dr Collier said the company would look at getting a major pharmaceutical partner to help distribute the drug.

"This is the last stage of clinical trials and we're currently testing in 26 clinical centres around the world," he said.

Dr Collier said there was evidence the drug would also work for other types of leukemia.

"This is our first approval and then we'll look at investigating other areas," he said.

ChemGenex will seek coverage by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme once the drug has been granted regulatory approval in Australia.