ARIAD Announces Data Of Ponatinib From Phase 2 Pace Clinical Trial

(RTTNews) - ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARIA) announced long-term follow-up data from its pivotal Phase 2 PACE clinical trial of Iclusig or ponatinib, its approved BCR-ABL inhibitor, in heavily pretreated patients with resistant or intolerant chronic myeloid leukemia or CML or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).

Responses have been maintained long-term in chronic phase CML (CP-CML) patients. The study shows that patients treated with Iclusig continued to demonstrate anti-leukemic activity with a median follow-up of 4.0 years for CP-CML. Additionally, 96 percent of CP-CML patients who underwent ponatinib dose reductions while in response maintained their responses (MCyR) at the four year timepoint.

"We remain very pleased by these continued responses in the PACE study in such a heavily pretreated patient population, as 59 percent of patients had previously received three or more approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Altogether, 82 percent of CP-CML patients who achieved MCyR are estimated to remain in MCyR at four years," stated Jorge E. Cortes, M.D., professor and deputy chair, department of leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.