Switzerland-based Celgene International Sárl has received approval from the European Commission (EC) to allow its Revlimid drug to treat patients with transfusion-dependent anaemia.
While other remedial options could not yield desired result, treatment with Revlimid indicated improvements in patients with transfusion-dependent anaemia due to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with an isolated chromosomal abnormality called deletion 5q.
MDS, a type of cancer, can often lead to severe anaemia, infections and bleeding due to low production of blood cells and platelets by the bone marrow.
It was found that nearly 50% patients suffering from MDS will have some form of chromosome abnormality, and 30% are likely to have the specific del(5q) abnormality.
Marien Hospital in Dusseldorf, Germany Dr. Aristotles Giagounidis said that the European Commission decision now brings new hope for transfusion dependant MDS patients.
It is expected that Germany will be the first country to bring the therapy to patients with MDS del(5q), while other European nations will launch Revlimid according to local requirements.
Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, Celgene International Sárl focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory ailments.
