Seeing CEP-701 in action

Cephalon Inc. thinks its CEP-701 oral FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT-3) inhibitor may do for acute myelogenous leukemia what Novartis AG's Gleevec imatinib Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor did for chronic myelogenous leukemia. The targeted approach, currently in Phase IIb testing, is being developed for the 25-30% of AML patients who have FLT-3 ITD mutations. CEP-701 (lestaurtinib) is the most advanced of a crop of FLT-3 inhibitors in development at several companies for a variety of diseases.

FLT-3 ITD, or internal tandem duplication, is a mutation that leaves FLT-3 "permanently flipped on," according to Peter Brown, vice president of clinical research, oncology...