Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka report positive Sprycel study data

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka have announced long-term clinical trial data that underlines the benefits of their leukaemia therapy Sprycel.

Four-year follow-up figures from the phase III Dasison study revealed that a higher percentage of patients treated with Sprycel achieved a major molecular response than those who received an alternative therapy.

It was also shown to be more likely to elicit an optimal molecular response at three months, thus leading to improved overall survival rates, while a positive safety profile for the drug was also confirmed.

The trial evaluated Sprycel as a first-line treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

Michael Giordano, senior vice-president and head of development, oncology and immunology at Bristol-Myers Squibb, said: "Sprycel remains an important therapy for many CML patients and we are committed to continuing its research in CML, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and informing medical practice."

This comes after Bristol-Myers Squibb and partner AstraZeneca received a Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommendation for approval of their new diabetes therapy Xigduo last month.