CML Combo/Trials...The cure we have been waiting for? News from Dr. Talpaz

[Guest guest]

This is an important post By Jerry from Jerry's list:

Yesterday, I met with Dr. Talpaz about his Combo trials. The purpose of this

post is to share information about these trials with you all.

First, I want to share with those who are new to CML, a little background about

Dr. Talpaz. Over the last 30 plus years, first at M. D. and now at the

University of Michigan Medical Center, Dr. Moshe Talpaz has been doing research

and treating thousands of CML patients. During that time, he has become world

renowned as a researcher and pioneer in the treatment of CML. He was the first

to prove that Interferon could be used effectively in the treatment of CML. He

was one of the original three doctors to first use Gleevec in the treatment of

CML. He was one of the first two doctors to use Sprycel to treat CML. He

regularly travels the world to lecture about the latest research and treatment

for CML. Some call him " The Guru of CML " . He is certainly a superstar in the

world of CML research and treatment.

I have known Dr. Talpaz for 11 years now and I have never seen him more excited

about the prospect of finding a cure for CML. For the last several years he has

talked to me about the prospect of combining the proven immune stimulation of

Interferon with the effective targeted killing of CML cells by the new tyrosine

kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and how these combos might bring a cure for many CML

patients. He is now conducting a Gleevec/Interferon trial and plans a

Sprycel/Interferon trial to start in the next three months. He has further plans

to combine Interferon with Tasigna and also Bosutinib if it gains FDA approval.

Another possible pathway to a cure that he wants to trial is combining TKIs with

Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors. Some of these Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors target

the primitive stem cells that cause CML. These primitive stem cells are not

eliminated by the current drugs used alone. All this is very exciting stuff. For

as long as I have known Dr. Talpaz, he has always had an uncanny ability to look

at the preclinical data about a drug and predict whether it will be a major

player in the CML world. This ability has put him at the forefront of CML

research. I have never seen him more excited about a prospective trial. He is

literally bubbling over with optimism that this strategy will bring us the cure

that we have been waiting for. We should all be very hopeful for the future.

Here are answers to some questions about Dr. Talpaz's Combo Trials:

1. How do these trials work? Patients take the drug combination for two years

then stop all CML drugs and are monitored by PCR to see it they remain CML free.

2. Do I have to be PCRU? No you do not have to be PCRU. A three log reduction

defined by Dr. Talpaz as a PCR result if 0.100% or below is required to

participate.

3. How much of my time will it take? After the first visit, another in 3 months

and after that every 6 months or yearly.

4. Will I have bad side effects form the interferon? No, the dose of pegylated

Interferon used in the trial are miniscule, just a small fraction of a normal

dose. Most patients do not have any significant side effects.

5. Are there any other trial centers? No, these trials are located at the

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan. There may be other doctors around

the world doing similar trials but I do not have the information about them.

6. How do I get more information? Doctor Talpaz requests that you contact him

directly by email at mtalpaz@... Please include these words in your

subject line " CML Combo Trials " .

All this is very exciting but it can't happen without your help. Patients must

be recruited then remain on the trial for two years before stopping the drugs.

Then they must be followed for several years in order to obtain the data needed.

This is a long process and for the trials to be valid, there must be a

substantial number of participants. Dr. Talpaz says that so far recruitment has

been slow. He has devoted his life to CML. His dream is to find the cure. This

is our chance to help him and at the same time to help ourselves and the CML

community world wide. Please consider doing your part.

Regards,

Jerry