Dr Peter Browett, Consultant Haematologist
Thanks to the support of thousands of people who choose to chip in and donate, LBC is working towards a Vision to Cure that strives to ensure that one day all Kiwis with blood cancer will have access to treatments that will help them defeat their cancer.
One project currently funded through donations is a Phase II clinical trial known as KISS (Kinase Inhibition with Sprycel Startup). KISS is recruiting newly diagnosed CML patients from hospital haematology clinics across the country.
As part of the trial, patients will undergo a treatment plan using two drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). TKIs are already known to be effective in helping many CML patients, but this innovative trial is doing things a bit differently.
The KISS trial aims to determine whether there is an advantage for patients to start on the newer, more potent inhibitor Dasatanib (known as Sprycel) in order to achieve a faster remission, and then switch to the current, older drug Imatinib (commonly known as Glivec) to maintain their cancer in long-term, ideally life-long remission.
Whilst blood cancer research is carried out all over the world, our history of settlement and migration makes New Zealand’s population unique, so for New Zealanders to gain the most benefit from research, it’s critically important trials like this are carried out here.
Consultant Haematologist and Professor of Pathology, Dr Peter Browett, is the lead investigator for the KISS trial. As he explains:
“I frequently see patients in my clinic who have very few options left for recovery from their blood cancer – too many lives are being cut short by this disease. That’s why research is so vital.”
Ultimately, the discovery of improved treatments, and ensuring New Zealanders have timely access to them, will revolutionise outcomes for all types of blood cancer. Thank you for helping make the Vision to Cure a reality through your donations and support.
For more information, or to subscribe to the newsletter, email sarahf@leukaemia.org.nz