Zurich (awp) – Novartis on Sunday published positive results from a study of Kymriah in the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute lymphatic leukemia in children and young adults. The data showed a lasting improvement in health status and longer survival, the Basel giant said.
As part of this “Eliana” study, 55% of patients with the disease who were treated with Kymriah were still alive five years later. For almost half of the patients, the symptoms of the disease had disappeared, after an average of 5.5 years of observation without new symptoms showing the long-term effectiveness and the healing potential of a single infusion with Kymriah.
The safety profile remained consistent with previous observations. Since the drug’s approval nearly five years ago, patients who previously had only less than 10% with a five-year survival rate have seen Kymriah represent a truly breakthrough option, has noted Stephan Grupp, director of the cell therapy and transplants division of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, quoted in the press release.
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