Teva gains expanded indication for leukemia drug

Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE TEVA) today announced it has obtained approval from the European Commission for an indication extension of Trisenox (arsenic trioxide).

This marks an important advancement in treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients in Europe, as it is the first time that a form of acute leukemia can be effectively treated with a regimen that is entirely chemotherapy-free.APL is a rare and aggressive type of acute leukemia that can kill within hours or days if left untreated. Trisenox, in combination with retinoic acid, has shown a 99% overall survival rate with almost no relapses after more than four years (50 months) of median follow-up.

“Teva is committed to providing wider access to high-quality medicines to ensure more people can benefit from the treatments they need. We’re very pleased by this decision of the European Commission, and we look forward to offering a chemotherapy-free treatment option for all newly diagnosed APL patients,” said Rob Koremans, president and chief executive of Teva Global Specialty Medicines.