25th Jun 2014 10:15
LONDON (Alliance News) - GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Wednesday it has begun a Phase III study of eltrombopag, marketed under the name Promacta in the US and Revolade in Europe, when combined with azacitidine for myelodysplastic syndromes.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a type of cancer affecting the bone marrow, where it does not produce enough healthy blood cells or if there are abnormal cells in the blood or marrow.
The study will assess the proportion of patients who are plateley transfusion free during the first four cycles of treatment with the combination compared to a placebo.
"Currently, there are no approved treatments for MDS that stimulate platelet production. The initiation of this study is an important step toward providing a potential treatment option that may support platelets and avoid transfusions in thromobocytopenic patients with MDS undergoing chemotherapy treatment," said Rafael Amado, Senior Vice President of Oncology Research and Development, in a statement.
Shares in Glaxo were trading down 0.9% at 1,563.00 pence Wednesday morning.
By Hana Stewart-Smith; [email protected]; @HanaSSAllNews
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