Some of you might be interested in the following article written by an Independent Stock Investor/advisor.
This is written from the perspective of buying stocks, but I think might give us- as the '...."lucky" people suffering from the forms of leukemia mentioned....'- a further heads up on this newer 2nd Gen TKi. ;o)
Sandy
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"Ariad Pharma (ARIA) seems to have attracted a good deal of philanthropist investment over the last year or so.
Ariad is currently finishing up a Pivitol Phase II-III for Ponatinib, an investigational pan BCR-ABL inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with hematologic cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Ponatinib is the kind of drug that is potentially life-changing. Ponatinib has fully enrolled its pivotal Phase II PACE (Ponatinb Ph+ ALL and CML Evaluation) trial in patients with resistant or intolerant CML and Ph+ ALL. Results from the Phase II PACE trial of ponatinib were reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the 2012 European Hematology Association (EHA) annual congress. ARIAD's Phase III EPIC trial comparing ponatinib to imatinib is continuing for newly diagnosed chronic-phase CML patients.
Ponatinib has really made a difference in the lives of a few "lucky" people suffering from the forms of leukemia mentioned above. This because the FDA has allowed Ariad to treat people suffering from these forms of leukemia via compassionate use, which allows certain qualified patients to try the drug outside of clinical trials. Pluristem is also interested in taking a similar route for a-plastic bone marrow treatment.
In July 2012, ARIAD submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for ponatinib to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ARIAD is seeking U.S. marketing approval of ponatinib in patients with resistant or intolerant CML Ph+ ALL. The company is seeking accelerated approval for ponatinib by the FDA and has requested a priority review of the application.
Ariad expects an FDA approval decision for the drug sometime in Q1, 2013. The company's stock price has risen at a parabolic rate from around $0.45 in a little over 3 years, to a recent 52 week and all-time high of $25.39."
http://seekingalpha.com/article/912941-5-bio-pharmas-on-the-rise-with-po...