In September 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for FOLOTYN for use as a single agent for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL. This indication is based on overall response rate. Clinical benefit such as improvement in progression-free survival or overall survival has not been demonstrated. FOLOTYN has been available to patients in the U.S. since October 2009.
About Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, or CTCL, is comprised of indolent non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphomas which have their primary manifestations in the skin. The most common CTCL subtypes are mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome. 1-2 The incidence of CTCL is increasing in the United States with approximately 3,000 new cases being diagnosed annually. CTCL affects over 30,000 in the U.S. and Canada. 3 About Allos Therapeutics Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALTH) is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of innovative anti-cancer therapeutics. Allos is currently focused on the development and commercialization of FOLOTYN ® (pralatrexate injection), a folate analogue metabolic inhibitor. FOLOTYN is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL. For additional information, please visit www.allos.com. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Warnings and Precautions FOLOTYN may suppress bone marrow function, manifested by thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia. Monitor blood counts and omit or modify dose for hematologic toxicities. Mucositis may occur. If ≥Grade 2 mucositis is observed, omit or modify dose. Patients should be instructed to take folic acid and receive vitamin B 12 to potentially reduce treatment-related hematological toxicity and mucositis. Fatal dermatologic reactions may occur. Dermatologic reactions may be progressive and increase in severity with further treatment. Patients with dermatologic reactions should be monitored closely, and if severe, FOLOTYN should be withheld or discontinued. Tumor lysis syndrome may occur. Monitor patients and treat if needed.FOLOTYN can cause fetal harm. Women should avoid becoming pregnant while being treated with FOLOTYN and pregnant women should be informed of the potential harm to the fetus.
Use caution and monitor patients when administering FOLOTYN to patients with moderate to severe renal function impairment. Elevated liver function test abnormalities may occur and require monitoring. If liver function test abnormalities are ≥Grade 3, omit or modify dose. Adverse Reactions The most common adverse reactions were mucositis (70%), thrombocytopenia (41%), nausea (40%), and fatigue (36%). The most common serious adverse events are pyrexia, mucositis, sepsis, febrile neutropenia, dehydration, dyspnea, and thrombocytopenia. Use in Specific Patient Population Nursing mothers should be advised to discontinue nursing or the drug, taking into consideration the importance of the drug to the mother. Drug Interactions Co-administration of drugs subject to renal clearance (e.g., probenecid, NSAIDs, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) may result in delayed renal clearance. Please see FOLOTYN Full Prescribing Information at www.FOLOTYN.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the potential safety and efficacy of FOLOTYN and bexarotene for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory CTCL, the Company’s intent to initiate a Phase 3 registration study of FOLOTYN and bexarotene in patients with relapsed or refractory CTCL; and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “projects,” “potential,” “continue,” and other similar terminology or the negative of these terms, but their absence does not mean that a particular statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: that data from clinical trials may not necessarily be indicative of future clinical trial results; that the safety and/or efficacy profile for FOLOTYN in combination with bexarotene may not support further clinical development in relapsed or refractory CTCL; and the risk that the Company may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund future clinical trials for FOLOTYN. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements is contained in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, and in the Company's other periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company on the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this presentation, except as required by law.Note: The Allos logo and FOLOTYN name are registered trademarks of Allos Therapeutics, Inc.
References :- Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation. Fast Facts: Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma. http://www.clfoundation.org/sites/default/files/content/CTCL_2011.pdf. Accessed January 24, 2012.
- Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation. Fast Facts: Sézary Syndrome. http://www.clfoundation.org/sites/default/files/content/Fact%20Sheet_SS.pdf. Accessed January 24, 2012.
- Accessed January 24, 2012.Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation. About Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma. http://www.clfoundation.org/about-cutaneous-lymphoma/who-gets-cutaneous-lymphoma-and-how-many-people-have-it. Accessed January 24, 2012.