ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced initial clinical findings on ponatinib in patients with advanced acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In addition to being an investigational pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor for use in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), ponatinib selectively and potently inhibits certain other tyrosine kinases, including a specific mutation of FLT3 called the internal tandem duplication (ITD). This mutation has been implicated in about one-third of AML patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. These results are being presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
