I have copied an article that was in our Local Sunday Times Newspaper that is asking for CML people to start two clinical trials in Australia for Omacetaxine - the Australian contact and number is listed.
Sandy has an article dated April 27, 2009 posted on the Newswire with information. These are the same trials but in Australia.
___________________________________________________________
Omacetaxine Drug (Recruiting for Trial) 2009 -
New Drug (Omacetaxine) Australian Invention
Dr Tony Schwarer of the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne is about to start two clinical trials of omaxetaxine.
He is recruiting and said patients who had the gene mutation, or who were resistant to other therapies should speak with their haemotologists and then contact his office on (03) 9899 4060.
"It is too early to say this drug is a cure, but it offers hope and is a wonderful thing to come out of our local biotech industry," Prof Schwarer said.
___________________________________________________
In the Article "Blood Cancer Hope" Sunday Times 2nd May 2009 - Journalist Robyn Riley
This is part of the transcript of the above.
An Australian biotechnology company had developed a drug of CML - a discovery that offers hope of a cure for the blood cancer.
The drug - omacetaxine - is the only one tested that can kill CML stem cells, according to ChemGenex Chief Greg Collier.
At least two patients in the international clinical trials, including a Victorian, are in remission.
Dr Collier said 80 percent of patients in the trials conducted in the US, Europe and Australia now had normal white blood cells and one in five had a return of normal bone marrow.
"This is exciting because it targets those patients hwo have no other options" Dr Collier said.
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals said the drug was in final clinical trials, and it was confident of approval by the US regulators, the Food and Drug Administration, within this year (2009).
The FDA has helped fast track omaxetaxine because it is the only treatment available to some CML patients with a specific gene mutation.
CML is a cancer of the blood cells. The bone marrow of patients with this disease is replaced with malignant leukemic cells.
Three drugs are available to treat the disease, but some do not respond to existing treatments. Omacetaxine targets these patients.
______________________________________________________
If you wish to register for the two Australian drug Trials -
Contact your haemotologist, discuss, and then contact Prof Schwarer's office on Australia (03) 9899 4060.
_______________________________________________________
Exciting times