Dr. Pemmaraju on SL-401 in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasms

Naveen Pemmaraju, MD, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the use of SL-401 in patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms (BPDCL).

BPDCL is an extremely rare hematologic malignancy, and there are currently no FDA-approved therapies to treat this disease. The novel agent SL-401 targets CD123, which is expressed in almost all patients with BPDCL, says Pemmaraju. In a phase II trial, SL-401 demonstrated a manageable and consistent side effect profile with an overall response rate of 90%. The only clinical background on SL-401 before this phase II was a pilot study that showed response in 7 out of 9 patients, which is a large group in this disease, Pemmaraju says.

According to investigators, a biologics license application is being prepared for SL-401 based on the results of this phase II study. The agent is also being investigated in other trials of patients with myelofibrosis, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.