ARIAD Announces Initial Clinical Data on Ponatinib in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ARIA today announced initial clinical findings on ponatinib in patients with advanced acute myeloid leukemia. In addition to being an investigational pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor for use in chronic myeloid leukemia, ponatinib selectively and potently inhibits certain other tyrosine kinases, including a specific mutation of FLT3 called the internal tandem duplication. This mutation has been implicated in about one-third of AML patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. These results are being presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago. This Phase 1 study of 12 patients with relapsed or refractory AML showed the potential benefit of ponatinib in patients with FLT3-positive AML. Three out of seven (43%) patients who were naïve to prior treatment with investigational FLT3 inhibitors had clinical and hematologic evidence of anti-leukemic activity, corresponding to 3 out of 12 overall (25%).