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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO BUSINESS, AND HEALTH EDITORS:
Doctors Square Off in Important Battle Over Unapproved Blood Cancer
Drug
ASHEVILLE, N.C., March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- It's hard to imagine
heavyweight hematologists publicly squaring off in support of an
off-label blood cancer drug. And yet, today, that's exactly what
happened in an "Open Letter to the MPN Community of the United
States," (http://mpnforum.com/an-open-letter/) published in the
April issue of MPNforum Magazine. (www.mpnforum.com)
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140328/PH92830-a
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140328/PH92830-b
The battle is over interferon. With few good alternative therapies
for an estimated 300,000 patients in the United States suffering from
myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), the outcome of the struggle is a
life and death issue.
Dr. Hans Carl Hasselbalch, professor of hematology at the University
of Copenhagen, Roskilde Hospital, and Dr. Richard Silver, professor of
medicine and director of the Leukemia and Myleoproliferative Center at
New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, publicly deplored
the efforts of hematologist Dr. Ayalew Tefferi, Professor of Medicine
at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester) to minimize the significance of
interferon in the treatment of MPNs, a rare chronic leukemia.
". I am worried," said Hasselbalch, "by the reported claims by Dr.
Ayalew Tefferi that interferon is no better than (hydroxyurea) and
busulphan in the MPNs. If Tefferi has said so, it is problematic that
a colleague, who may be aware of his great impact on the 'scientific
community' and MPN-patients' care, stands up and not tells the truth.I
cannot dissect or understand the reasons for his anti-IFN attitude."
"I agree with everything [Hasselbalch] says," wrote Silver.
"Recombinant interferon is the only drug used in the
myeloproliferative diseases that has a physiological basis for its
use. instead of the non-specific killing activity of hydroxyurea and
other similar compounds."
The Open Letter was triggered by Tefferi's remarks on interferon in a
teleconference with an MPN patient group February 23
(http://mpnforum.com/tefferi-speaks/) during which he reported on his
upcoming clinical trial of a new MPN drug, Geron's Imetelstat.
(Imetelstat was put on clinical hold by the FDA last week, reportedly
due to problems in liver toxicity.) Tefferi, a principal investigator
in many MPN drug trials, has publicly stated his lack of support for
interferon as well as his opposition to an FDA approved myelofibrosis
drug, Jakafi.
Citing long clinical experience and publication of many peer-reviewed
scientific studies, Hasselbalch and Silver make the case for early use
of interferon in MPN treatment.
Recognized as a frontline drug for MPNs in Europe, interferon is only
available to US MPN patients as an off-label drug. Interferon is
FDA-approved for treatment of other diseases, primarily Hepatitis-C.
MPNforum and its companion MPN Quarterly Journal are open source
publications entirely managed and staffed by patients and caregivers
with the volunteer participation of scientists and healthcare
providers. MPNforum is the largest international on-line monthly
magazine devoted to myeloproliferative neoplasm patients and
caregivers.
Contact: Zhenya Senyak, Editor, MPNforum Email
Read more news from MPNforum.
SOURCE MPNforum
-0- 03/28/2014
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/Web Site: http://mpnforum.com
CO: MPNforum
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