BioLineRx (NASDAQ: BLRX; TASE: BLRX), a biopharmaceutical development company, announced today that BL-8040 has been shown in pre-clinical trials to be effective for the treatment of thrombocytopenia, or reduced platelet production.
The findings were published in the British Journal of Hematology, a leading journal in the field. The study, headed by Prof. Amnon Peled from the Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy - Hadassah University Hospital, assessed the effect of repeated doses of BL-8040 on healthy and chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenic mice. The results show that repeated administration of BL-8040 significantly increased the number of megakaryocytes (cells that produce platelets) within the bone marrow; this was associated with increased production and increased levels of platelets in the blood circulation, in both the healthy and chemotherapy induced-thrombocytopenic mice. In addition, BL-8040 increased the number of hematopoietic progenitor cells within the bone marrow and in the blood. These cells are important for generating not only platelets but the whole gamut of red and white blood cells. In addition, BL-8040 significantly reduced the severity and duration of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia and cytopenia.
"We are currently developing BL-8040 for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and a Phase 2 clinical trial for this indication is underway at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and other leading centers in the U.S. and Israel," said Kinneret Savitsky, Ph.D., CEO of BioLineRx. "We have previously stated that we intend to pursue additional hematological indications for this promising asset. The results of this study, which provide evidence for the possible therapeutic use of BL-8040 for modulating platelet numbers in thrombocytopenic conditions, offer new possibilities which we may choose to explore further in pre-clinical and early-stage clinical trials. In addition, the ability of this novel drug to reduce thrombocytopenia, a frequent side effect of chemotherapy, makes BL-8040 even more appealing as a candidate for blood cancer treatment."
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