Protherics plc of London and its co-development partner, Advancell s.l. of Barcelona today enrolled the first patient in a Phase II/II clinical study of Acadra in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL).
Most drugs currently used to treat B-CLL also kill T-cells, suppressing the patient’s immune system and increasing the risk of serious infection; a common cause of death in patients with B-CLL. Acadra is a potentially selective treatment for B-CLL which has been shown to cause the death of B-cells whilst sparing T-cells in blood samples from patients with B-CLL.
The drug has also shown the capacity to kill B-CLL cells that are resistant to current therapies. Protherics and Advancell are jointly developing Acadra following the earlier signing of a licensing and co-development agreement.
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