Three-year follow-up data on Sprycel (Otsuka/BMS) shows fast, deep response in CML patients

Results from the 3-year follow-up of the DASISION trial shows that first-line treatment with Sprycel (dasatinib), from BMS and Otsuka, results in faster and deeper response rates compared with Gleevec in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia+ Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia. An exploratory analysis of the study suggests that patients with a deeper molecular response at three months (defined as having a less than or equal to 10% BCR-ABL) show a trend towards improved outcomes [Progression Free Survival (PFS), Overall Survival (OS) and a lower risk of disease transformation to Accelerated Phase or Blast Phase] than the patients who did not achieve this. A deeper molecular response at three months was achieved in 84% of dasatinib-treated patients and 64% of imatinib-treated patients. In addition, the median time to response (Complete Cytogenic Response) for dasatinib was 3.2 months vs 6.0 months for imatinib and the median time to major molecular response was 15 vs 36 months, respectively. The data also showed that dasatinib continues to be generally well-tolerated. Results were presented by Dr Andreas Hochhaus, Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Jena University Hospital, Germany at the 17th Congress of the European Hematology Association.