Good News - FDA drug advisory panel recommends acclerated approval for Dasatinib

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

Please read the news release below. I watched the live webcast of

this today and it was quite interesting. More news later.

Cheers and Congratulations to BMS!

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - Drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said

Friday that a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel

recommended accelerated approval of the company's dasatinib compound

to treat two kinds of cancer.

The panel recommended the agency approve the drug, based on results

of clinical trials, to treat adults in all phases of chronic myeloid

leukemia when other treatments including Novartis AG's Gleevec

cannot be tolerated or do not work.

The advisory panel also recommended the drug be approved to treat

adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic

leukemia who are resistant to Gleevec.

Both cancers, which usually occur in adults, are diseases where too

many white blood cells are made in the bone marrow.

While the FDA is not bound by the recommendations, the agency

usually follows the panel's advice. A decision is expected by June

28.