Gleevec Delivers More Good News to Patients

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Gleevec, the targeted cancer pill, delivers more good news to patients

PORTLAND, Ore. - Gleevec, the targeted cancer pill that has saved more than

100,000 lives, now is saving more children with a dire leukemia, as well as

preventing disease progression with long term use in adults with chronic

myeloid leukemia.

" Data at this weekend's meeting continues to show how much Gleevec has

completely changed the outlook for so many, many patients facing cancer, "

said Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Cancer Institute.

At the plenary session of the annual meeting of the American Society of

Hematology researchers delivered news that Gleevec has been shown to improve

outcomes for children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute

lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).

Ph+ ALL is the childhood leukemia with the worst prognosis and the

Children's

Oncology Group study shows that adding Gleevec to the treatment almost

completely reverses this poor prognosis. The Children's Oncology Group is a

worldwide clinical trial cooperative supported by the National Cancer

Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.

Also released at the conference is new data from the largest clinical trial

in Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

that showed Gleevec, with long-term use, can prevent progression to advanced

stages of the disease.

Six-year results of the International Randomized Interferon versus STI571

(IRIS) study for which Druker served as principal investigator, demonstrated

that continuous treatment with Gleevec produced a declining rate of relapse

over time. The downward trend in the risk of disease progression while on

Gleevec has continued since year two of the study. Remarkably, between years

five and six, no patients progressed to an advanced phase of the disease.

" The news about Gleevec and the childhood leukemia study as well as the

six-year IRIS study that shows there is no progression to advanced phase in

CML means that more and more patients are surviving, despite being diagnosed

with these cancers, " said Druker, JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research,

Medical Institute Investigator and member of the National

Academy of Sciences. He also is a professor of medicine (hematology and

medical oncology), cell and developmental biology, and biochemistry and

molecular biology in the OHSU School of Medicine.

Gleevec has also been approved for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal

tumors, pediatric CML, as well as five additional rare cancers.

###

Particulars: Heinrich, M.D., professor of medicine

(hematology/medical oncology) in the OHSU School of Medicine and the

Portland Veteran's Affairs medical Center, and a member of the OHSU Cancer

Institute, has been the principal investigator in research studies involving

GIST and Gleevec.

The OHSU Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated

center between Sacramento and Seattle. It comprises some 120 clinical

researchers, basic scientists and population scientists who work together to

translate scientific discoveries into longer and better lives for cancer

patients. In the lab, basic scientists examine cancer cells and normal cells

to uncover molecular abnormalities that cause the disease. This basic

science informs more than 200 clinical trials conducted at the OHSU Cancer

Institute.

Zavie (age 69)

67 Shoreham Avenue

Ottawa, Canada, K2G 3X3

dxd AUG/99

INF OCT/99 to FEB/00, CHF

No meds FEB/00 to JAN/01

Gleevec since MAR/27/01 (400 mg)

CCR SEP/01. #102 in Zero Club

2.8 log reduction Sep/05

3.0 log reduction Jan/06

2.9 log reduction Feb/07

3.2 log reduction Jun/07

3.6 log reduction Sep/07

e-mail: zmiller@...

Tel: 613-726-1117

Fax: 309-296-0807

Cell: 613-202-0204

ID: zaviem