GENESIS Pharma enters into exclusive agreement with Jazz Pharmaceuticals to commercialize a therapy for certain types of High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia in adults (t-AML and AML-MRC) in Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
29 September 2021 –GENESIS Pharma, a leading regional biopharma company operating in the broader region of South East Europe, announced their exclusive agreement with Jazz Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-changing medicines for serious diseases, for the commercialization of a cancer medicine in Greece, Cyprus and Malta, for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed, therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC).
Mr. Constantinos Evripides, Managing Director of GENESIS Pharma stated: “We are honored and happy to broaden our strategic international partnerships’ network with Jazz Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to innovation which can change the course of serious diseases. It is an agreement that further enhances our focus on medicines that address unmet therapeutic needs and our long-standing commitment to patients suffering from hematologic malignancies. It is our goal to ensure that all patients that could benefit from this therapy will have access to this new therapeutic option”.
According to Dr. Maria Pagoni, NHS Director, Hematology-Lymphoma Clinic & Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Evangelismos General Hospital and Chairman of the Hellenic Society of Haematology: “The treatment of Ηigh-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia is evolving. Increased understanding of the disease and the development of new therapies allow for more effective treatment strategies in patients with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) that are eligible for chemotherapy”.
About Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets.1 It can sometimes spread to other parts of the body including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and testicles.2 The cause of AML is generally unknown, but people may develop it following exposure to certain agents, such as radiation, particular chemicals or prior treatment for cancer, or following another haematological disorder.3 AML is a relatively rare disease representing 1.1 percent of all new cancer cases in the US3. It is the most common form of acute leukaemia in adults, and its incidence increases with age.4,5 The median age at diagnosis is 68 years old,6 with rising age associated with a progressively worsening prognosis.7 Ageing of the European population may therefore contribute to the reported increase in AML incidence in Europe from 3.48 in 1976 to 5.06 patients per 100 000 people in 2013.8 High-risk acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), including therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) sub-types, constitutes a distinct subset of disease based on clinical and biological characteristics and comprises a significant percentage of all cases of adult AML.9
REFERENCES
1. National Cancer Institute. Adult acute myeloid leukemia treatment (PDQ®) –patient version. https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia/patient/adult-aml-treatment-pdq. Updated March 6, 2020. Accessed March 30, 2021.
2. American Cancer Society. What is acute myeloid leukemia (AML)? https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia/about/what-is-aml.html. Updated August 21, 2018. Accessed March 30, 2021.
3. SEER Stat Facts: AML. 2020. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/amyl.html;
4. Löwenberg B, Rowe JM, “Introduction to the review series on advances in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)”, Blood, Vol. 127, No.1, 2016, epub. https:// doi.org/10.1182/blood-2015-10-662684
5. Shallis RM, Wang R, Davidoff A, Ma X, Zeidan AM. Epidemiology of acute myeloid leukemia: Recent progress and enduring challenges. Blood Rev. 2019 Jul;36:70-87. Doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2019.04.005. Epub 2019 Apr 29.
6. American Cancer Society. Key statistics for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia/about/key-statistics.html. Updated January 8, 2020. Accessed March 30, 2021.
7. Baer MR,George SL, Larson RAet al. Leukemia.2011 May;25(5):10.1038/eu.2011.9.
8. Heuser M, et al. Acute myeloid leukaemia in adult patients: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2020; vol 31, issue 6. p697-712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2020.02.018
9. Schiller G.J. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2013;2013:201-8. doi: 10.1182/asheducation-2013.1.201.
