A clinical trial in the United States has shown that an experimental pill, called revumenib, has achieved complete remission of cancer in 18 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, a form of blood cancer that is the most common in adults and has a 3-year survival of only 25%. This disease causes the unbridled production of defective cells in the marrow of the bones, which can be fatal if not treated in time.
Revumenib targets 2 genetic subtypes in which a protein called menin facilitates the progression of leukemia. The drug binds to this protein and inhibits it, thanks to its complex chemical recipe: C32H47FN6O4S. The trial results are preliminary and do not imply a definitive cure, but those responsible for the experiment are optimistic. “We believe this drug is remarkably effective and we hope it will be available to all patients who need it”, says GhayasIssa, MD of the University of Texas and Anderson Cancer Center.
The promising results are published in the journal Nature, one of the most prestigious scientific publications in the world. However, the researchers point out that the drug does not work in all cases and that it is not a panacea, since in most cases, targeted therapies can reverse leukemia, but hardly cure it on their own.
This pill can benefit almost 400,000 people with acute leukemia
The hematologist Pau Montesinos, coordinator of the Spanish Acute Myeloid Leukemia Group, believes that the new data is encouraging, but stresses the importance of testing revumenib in hundreds of people to confirm its safety and efficacy. Montesinos’ own team will participate in the upcoming international trials of the pill, developed by the US pharmaceutical company Syndax Pharmaceuticals.
The oncologist GhayasIssa, responsible for the experiment, estimates that these new pills can benefit almost 400,000 people with acute leukemia resistant to other treatments, both myeloid and the most frequent in children, called lymphocytic. Experts acknowledge that the economic factor will be key if the pill is finally approved, since the price of the latest oral cancer drugs is often high.
Revumenib has achieved complete cancer remission in 18 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, a promising but preliminary result that requires further testing to confirm its safety and efficacy. The drug targets a specific protein and its success could benefit hundreds of thousands of people with acute leukemias resistant to other treatments. However, experts warn that the drug does not work in all cases and that it is not a panacea for the disease. In addition, the economic factor will be key to its approval and access to patients.
