The majority of adult leukemia is composed of five diseases:
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Hairy cell leukemia (HCL)
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL)
These blood cancers usually occur in late middle age. This demographic group is growing globally and expected to reach over 1.3 billion in 2017. Consequently, within the next decade, countries such as the United States, with a baby-boom generation reaching retirement age, can expect adult leukemia to become a major health care challenge.
Current treatments for adult leukemia fail to prevent the majority of patients from dying within 5 years of diagnosis. In addition, existing gold standards for treatment often involve non-specific chemotherapy that subjects patients to severe side effects including vulnerability to life-threatening infections. These considerations demand new treatments for adult leukemia.
The mission of Leukemia Therapeutics is to bring to market new, targeted therapies for adult leukemia that improve both patient survival and quality of life.
Our proprietary discovery platform has identified seventeen new therapeutic targets on the surface of AML, HCL and ATLL. We are currently developing humanized antibodies that bind these targets and evaluating their therapeutic efficacy.
Engaging “Open Innovation” will bring our therapeutic antibodies to market.
Marcello, R., Carroll, G. and Vadnerkar, G. (2015). Executing an open innovation model: cooperation is key to competition for biopharmaceutical companies. Analysis Report, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, Deloitte Development, LLC.
