Trial results of a new combination therapy for myeloid leukaemia.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia is a condition that affects around 600 people a year in the UK. The only curative intervention to date has been bone-marrow transplantation. A combined drug therapy featuring interferon and a new drug called imatinib has shown encouraging results in recent trials. In one trial of 532 patients, 60% achieved a major cytogenetic response, while in 41% no leukaemia could be detected using normal cytogenetic techniques. This article provides background on the nature of chronic myeloid leukaemia, and discusses the imatinib trial results and indications for future treatments.