Re: Interferon after Gleevec

[Guest guest]

It seems a recent French analysis of patients (about a dozen) who had

reached PCRU while on Gleevec and subsequently stopped the drug showed

that about half started to show CML cells relapsing in their blood.

What was of interest was that the other half remained PCRU for many

months after stopping Gleevec. Almost all had in a common a prior

history of a pretty good response to Interferon before switching to

Gleevec.

This small study is intriguing enough to initiate a clinical trial.

Somewhat dissimilar since the Interferon dose will be lower to keep

side effects more manageable but a very interesting study.

[Guest guest]

, after reading the article the first thing I thought of was those

who did not respond to INF alone.

I personally was on interferon daily + 10 days of ARC injections per month

for a bit over a year.

I started out 100% ph positive and remained 100 % ph positive through out

the year. But of course no additional blast or other issues besides the

horrible side affects.

I went on 400 mgs of gleevec and in 60 days I reached CCR and PCRU.

I personally don't think that this low dose of interferon once per week

would be such a big deal but again I thought of those like myself who did

not respond to Interferon and in this article it does suggest that those who

did well on this trial had a common good response to interferon prior to

Gleevec.

Wasn't there also a study where participants went off of gleevec to see If

they would maintain their PCRU status?

I think I recall some being ok and some not?

Some days I just really want to do this! But I haven't for obvious reasons

of course.

ez