A potential leukemia treatment being developed by Micromet Inc. produced a high percentage of complete remissions in a small patient population, according to early results from a mid-stage clinical trial of the drug.
The Bethesda, Md., company said Friday nine of 12 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who had relapsed following standard treatment achieved complete remission after treatment with blinatumomab. The patients had no evidence of leukemic cells remaining in their blood or bone marrow.
Company shares jumped 68 cents, or 13 percent, to $5.97 in late morning trading.
A statement from the company said this form of leukemia is hard to treat and has seen no meaningful improvement in decades. Blinatumomab, the company's lead product candidate, is designed to direct the body's cell-destroying T-cells against cancer cells.
Data will be presented Saturday at the 16th Annual Meeting of the European Hematology Association in London.