Micromet's blinatumomab demonstrates potential to change outcome for patients with ALL

Jun 15 2010

Micromet, Inc. (Nasdaq: MITI) today announced the presentation of updated results from a Phase 2 trial of the Company's lead product candidate blinatumomab (MT103) in adult patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  Results of the analysis demonstrate that a prolonged hematologic relapse free survival was observed in patients treated with blinatumomab. As of April 2010, six of nine evaluable, MRD responding, non-transplanted patients were in hematologic remission, ranging up to 23 months.  Historical experience suggests that the majority of patients with MRD following front-line chemotherapy who do not receive a transplant will relapse within one year.  Blinatumomab is the first of a new class of agents called BiTE® antibodies, designed to harness the body's T cells to kill cancer cells.

Dr. Max Topp, Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Wuerzburg presented the study findings on June 12, 2010 in an oral presentation (abstract # 0598) at the 15th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Barcelona, Spain.

"Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a difficult to treat disease that has seen no meaningful improvement in decades," said Dr. Topp.  "These data clearly demonstrate that blinatumomab has the potential to fundamentally change the outcome for patients with ALL."