HemoGenyx Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HEMO) shares soared higher on Thursday as its chief executive Vladislav Sandler said the company was encouraged by new data on its antibody drug candidate for use in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
The company has already shown the treatment may have a role in tackling acute myeloid leukaemia.
The latest lab tests revealed the CDX bi-specific antibody was capable of eliminating a subset of ALL cells that contain mixed-lineage leukemia 1 gene rearrangements and that overexpress a protein called FLT3.
The drug developer said CDX binds to the protein that is located on the surface of target cells, binds to the CD3 protein and ultimately redirects t-cells to kill the target cells.
Hemogenyx said it is planning to verify the efficacy of CDX in ALL in an animal model in the near future.
CEO Sandler said the latest data demonstrated the potential to widen the application of its CDX antibody.
New and potentially effective treatment
“We previously demonstrated that CDX antibody may be effective in treating acute myeloid leukaemia, another type of aggressive blood cancer,” he explained.
“This antibody should, if successful, provide a new and potentially effective treatment for a form of blood cancer for which adult survival rates are currently very poor."
ALL is an aggressive form of blood cancer that affects both children and adults.
While the prognosis for paediatric patients is generally good (80-90% survival), the prognosis for patients over 60 years of age remains very poor, with survival rates of only 10-15%.
The value of the market globally, meanwhile, is put at US$1.5bn.
In early morning trading, Hemogenyx shares topped the London market's gainers board, up 30% at 3p.
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