Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is the name used to describe a group of stem cell disorders in which the body can’t produce an adequate amount of platelets and blood cells. Currently, the only treatment options for patients with this condition are drugs which alter immunological responses, improving blood values. The only cure is a stem cell transplant. For patients who are not able to have this type of procedure, such as the elderly, the outlook is dim. This population of patients certainly needs more options, and BerGenBio has just released the initiation of a trial which is aiming to provide just that.
The Trial
BerGenBio is conducting a Phase II trial to investigate bemcentinib in individuals diagnosed with high-risk MDS. The company says they may also enroll patients who have acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as people with MDS have a high risk for developing AML.
Bemcentinib is a type of AXL inhibitor. AXL kinase helps cancerous tumors resist treatment and survive. They also suppress the body’s immune response. This means that AXL inhibitors may be able to improve outcomes for conditions where AXL expression is prominent.
BerGenBio’s trial will enroll 43 patients from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France. It will be conducted at 8 hospitals. The company has announced that the first patient in the study has already been dosed with the drug.
In pre-clinical studies of bemcentinib, the drug showcased its ability to interfere with AXL signaling, and researchers are hopeful this trial will produce the same results.
The company plans to report results from this trial as it progresses. The hope, of course, is that it will indicate a new potential treatment option for this population of patients who currently have so little.
You can read more about this clinical trial for bemcentinib here.
