Novartis, Glaxo to unveil new data at conference

TRENTON, N.J. - Wall Street will be watching new results from the biggest study of a Novartis drug to stop dangerous iron buildup in frequent blood transfusion patients and a late-stage study of a GlaxoSmithKline leukemia treatment at a medical conference starting this weekend.

Pharmaceutical company Novartis AG will have about a dozen presentations on its already-approved drug Exjade, including one looking at how well it removes excess iron that builds up in and damages the hearts of patients getting transfusions because of anemia and other blood disorders.

Such patients "often die in their 20s. We're talking about removing decades of life," said David Epstein, president of Novartis Oncology.

Exjade causes a process caused iron chelation, a process in which it binds to the iron and the resulting compound is then excreted. That presentation Monday will be among hundreds at the annual conference of the American Society of Hematology, running Saturday through Tuesday in San Francisco.

Many look at potential new uses for existing medicines. Positive results can mean an experimental drug will make it to the market and an existing one will steal market share from competitors or boost sales.

The Exjade data examines subsets of patients in the 1,700-patient study called EPIC, which already has shown Exjade removes excess iron from the liver.

Novartis also is presenting two midstage studies of its already-approved drug Tasigna as an initial treatment for people with chronic myelogenous leukemia and more than 10 abstracts on tests of its experimental drug panobinostat against various types of cancer.

Other highlights:

_ GlaxoSmithKline PLC on Monday is presenting a late-stage study that tested its experimental antibody-based drug, ofatumumab, for six months in 138 patients who had failed on standard treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia — a group with a low survival rate. GSK is developing the drug with partner Genmab A/S for that leukemia, plus follicular lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Also Monday, GlaxoSmithKline presents results of a late-stage study that compared its Promacta, a pill recently approved in the U.S. for a rare blood-clotting disorder, with placebo. This study looked at long-term safety and effectiveness for patients previously treated for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a mysterious disorder in which the immune system destroys platelets, causing a risk of bleeding. A midstage study in patients not yet treated with other drugs is being presented Saturday.

_ Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is presenting abstracts on multiple studies on Sprycel, its already-approved drug for chronic myelogenous leukemia. In the key study, being presented Monday, patients who had already failed on the standard treatment, Novartis' Gleevec, got Sprycel for two years to determine effectiveness and optimal dose.

_ Daiichi Sankyo Inc. is presenting three studies on its experimental anticlotting pill DU-176b, which works by blocking a clotting factor in the blood. On Sunday, it presents a large study comparing DU-176b to the mainstay anticlotting drug warfarin, which can have dangerous side effects, for preventing life-threatening blood clots in arteries and veins.

_ Sanofi-Aventis SA is presenting studies on two existing products, Lovenox and Elitek. Data on Lovenox, for preventing common, dangerous blood clots in veins, are being presented on Saturday and Monday; they look at the drug's effects in different age groups and whether its use can reduce overall medical costs. Elitek, approved in children getting cancer treatment to prevent a kidney-threatening buildup of byproducts from broken-down cells, was tested in adults and compared with an existing treatment.

_ Amgen Inc. has new late-stage data on its drug Nplate, a regulator of blood platelet production approved in the U.S. in August. Five studies being presented Monday look at long-term safety and effectiveness in patients with the clotting disorder chronic immune thrombocytopenia or a syndrome that can lead to leukemia.

_ Allos Therapeutics Inc. is presenting data Monday on a midstage study of its cancer drug pralatrexate in people who have failed other treatments for peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

The drug recently has received "orphan drug" status from the FDA to treat a number of cancers. The designation would give the company market exclusivity for seven years if the drug is approved, as well as benefits during the approval process.

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