The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Data and Presence at ASH Showcase Latest Blood Cancer Treatment Breakthroughs

Numerous LLS-funded researchers and Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP) partners will present data on the most recent developments in blood cancer

LLS's scientific leadership will be available at ASH to provide independent perspective on some of the major and late-breaking findings

RYE BROOK, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 65th Annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting (December 9-12 in San Diego), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) will present new research findings, and proudly support more than 200 LLS-funded researchers, as well as 15 current and former LLS Therapy Acceleration Program® (TAP) partners, who will share their study results.

"Our strategic approach to research funding encourages scientists to innovate, think big and test bold ideas from the lab all the way to the clinic, so I always look forward to ASH to hear what LLS-funded researchers and TAP partners are presenting. The next big advances are in the works," said Lee Greenberger, Ph.D., LLS Chief Scientific Officer.

LLS funding has helped advance more than 70% of blood cancer treatment options approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the last six years.

LLS research selected for presentation at ASH includes:

• New data from two master clinical trials convened and led by LLS: the Pediatric Acute Leukemia Master Clinical Trial (PedAL) and the Beat AML® Master Clinical Trial. These trials are fundamentally changing how children and adults with acute leukemias respectively are treated
• New data from the LLS National Patient Registry, a project of the Michael J. Garil Patient Data Collective, which provides real-world insight into cardiotoxic adverse events in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
• Findings from two investigators funded through the LLS Equity in Access program looking at the impact of health insurance coverage and continuity on blood cancer outcomes, including access to stem cell transplantation among patients with multiple myeloma and stage at diagnosis among children, adolescents and young adults with lymphoma.
• More than 30 presentations from current and former TAP partners showcasing updated preclinical and clinical trial results in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), AML, subtypes of lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other blood cancers.

At ASH, LLS will also host its annual Research Awards and Networking Event, to recognize innovative and dedicated scientific leaders who have changed blood cancer treatment and improved the lives of patients, as well as up-and-coming scientific visionaries who will lead the way for generations to come.

Beat AML: TRANSFORMING TREATMENT FOR ADULTS WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA

The Beat AML Master Clinical Trial, the first collaborative precision medicine clinical trial in blood cancer, uses advanced technology to provide genomic analysis to match patients to precision treatment within seven days. More than 1,400 AML patients have received genomic screening and 400-plus have enrolled in one of Beat AML's treatment trials, which so far have targeted 15 distinct types of AML.

Beat AML has demonstrated improved survival and better quality of life for patients enrolled in a Beat AML trial compared to patients receiving standard-of-care chemotherapy. A new documentary, "Coloring Outside the Lines," follows the stories of four of these patients who faced the odds of a "months-to-live" prognosis and enrolled in a Beat AML trial.

Beat AML is currently investigating whether a shorter treatment course of an FDA-approved drug combination in older patients can maintain efficacy while lowering toxicity, which can often limit treatment in older patients. The following Beat AML posters will be presented at ASH:

PedAL: TRANSFORMING TREATMENT AND CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH BLOOD CANCER

The LLS PedAL Master Clinical Trial, launched in June 2022, aims to find safer and more effective treatments for children with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia by matching each child to treatment based on their unique tumor biology. This approach will fundamentally change how children with acute leukemia are treated and—it is hoped—lessen the long-term, and often life-long, effects of pediatric cancer treatment.  

Data presented at ASH focuses on results from the PedAL Screening Trial (APAL2020SC) actively enrolling in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which assesses individual clinical and biological characteristics that can inform a family's choice of standard treatment or enrolling in a clinical trial. The power of PedAL to run trial sites globally provides a unique opportunity to gather a large, meaningful pool of data for rare pediatric cancers where single site—or even single country—studies would need much more time to achieve this. The companion European Pediatric Acute Leukemia Registry (EuPAL 2021 Registry), launched in the EU in June 2022, also will be presented.

In addition to 175 screening sites, PedAL currently has one treatment trial opened across 66 international sites. LLS anticipates the opening of a second PedAL global treatment trial within the first half of 2024.

LLS NATIONAL PATIENT REGISTRY: UNDERSTANDING REAL-WORLD BLOOD CANCER EXPERIENCES

The LLS National Patient Registry provides important information about real-world experiences of blood cancer patients, which can help inform avenues of research, including decisions by LLS on how it invests tens of millions of research dollars annually. Registry data presented at ASH will offer insight into cardiotoxic adverse events in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), an outcome that appears to be fluctuating with changing treatment paradigms, including use of first- and second-generation BTK inhibitors.

INVESTING IN EVERYONE'S FUTURE: HEALTH EQUITY AND EQUITY IN ACCESS AT THE FOREFRONT

LLS is dedicated to ensuring all blood cancer patients and survivors have access to the care they need when they need it. The LLS Equity in Access research program is generating evidence that can guide policy reform and changes in healthcare practice to mitigate the impact of social, economic and environmental disadvantages and reduce barriers to critical cancer care.

LLS proudly and gratefully acknowledges the leadership support of Royalty Pharma and the following companies for their support of the Equity in Access Research Program and other initiatives focused on reducing healthcare disparities in blood cancer care and treatment:  AMGEN Oncology, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, and Takeda Oncology.  

TAP: EXPLORING FIRST IN CLASS THERAPIES TO ADDRESS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT UNMET NEED

LLS TAP is a venture philanthropy initiative that makes investments and partnerships with companies that are developing innovative drugs which hold promise to change the standard of care. TAP reinvests 100 percent of its investment returns into the LLS mission. Since 2017, four LLS TAP-supported therapies have been approved by the FDA or included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Promising data from later stages of clinical development will be presented at ASH from several LLS TAP partners who will be showcasing topline results across a variety of blood cancers:

CMML: ACTIVATING NEW RESEARCH GRANTS TO DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS

Because of a generous gift of $17 million from the Mike and Sofia Segal Family Foundation, LLS has activated grants to advance the treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), a rare and incurable blood cancer. A portion of this funding has been allocated to build upon research findings that will be presented at ASH, including:

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the global leader in the fight against blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.  

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has regions throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.   

LLS is the only organization featured in the nonprofit category on both Fast Company's 2022 Brands That Matter list and the 2023 Best Workplaces for Innovators list. LLS stands out among brands around the world for its relevancy, cultural impact, ingenuity, and mission impact.   

For additional information, visit lls.org/lls-newsnetwork. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

About the Beat AML® Master Clinical Trial

The Beat AML® Master Clinical Trial is the first collaborative precision medicine clinical trial in a blood cancer. Launched by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2016 and focused on newly diagnosed AML patients aged 60 or older, the trial uses advanced genomic technology to match patients to the most promising targeted treatment based on their unique genetic mutations. 

The trial tests multiple therapies in multiple study arms simultaneously under a "master trial" protocol that not only has the power to bring new therapies to AML patients faster, but also has the potential to stand as a model for future clinical trials. The trial has already generated strong results, showing superior survival rates and better quality of life when genomic analysis is used to match patients to targeted therapies. For more information, www.lls.org/beataml.

About LLS PedAL

As part of LLS's Dare to Dream Project, the Pediatric Acute Leukemia Master Trial (PedAL) is the first-of-its-kind global master clinical trial for pediatric acute leukemia patients that will fundamentally change how children are treated. Prior to enrolling in therapeutic trials, patients enroll in the PedAL Screening Trial (APAL2020SC) to identify the unique tumor biology of each child's cancer and help them to match with the most promising treatment. The Screening Trial is currently open at multiple sites in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; a companion Registry (EuPAL 2021 Registry) is open in Germany and more countries will open soon. At this time, one PedAL therapeutic trial is open and actively enrolling patients in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, with more therapeutic trials planned for global execution. To learn more about PedAL, visit lls.org/dare-to-dream.

PedAL would not be possible without the support of major foundation donors such as Gateway for Cancer Research, which pledged $1.5 million over three years to support genomic sequencing and flow cytometry, which will be conducted through the PedAL screening trial, and the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation, which has committed over $1.2 million over five years to support the PedAL Principal Investigators Fellowship Program, whose members will be leading the PedAL therapeutic trials.

About the LLS National Patient Registry

The LLS National Patient Registry, a project of the Michael J. Garil Patient Data Collective, was established in honor of Michael Garil, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 1974 at the age of 7. His parents, Ethel and Bernard Garil, have generously supported the creation of the LLS National Patient Registry to gather vital information from a large pool of people affected by blood cancers.

About Therapy Acceleration Program® (LLS TAP)

LLS TAP is a strategic venture philanthropy initiative that seeks to accelerate the development of innovative blood cancer therapeutics and change the standard of care. LLS TAP collaborates with biotech companies to support the development of novel platforms, first-in-class assets addressing unmet medical needs, emerging patient populations and even rare blood cancers. LLS TAP accepts funding applications on a rolling basis from companies with innovative science that has a high potential to improve patient lives. To learn more, visit www.lls.org/tap.

Media Contact

Ryan McDonald
Senior Manager, Medical & Science Communications
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
[email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)