Investigational Studies Highlight Potential Utility of Zevalin(R) (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan) Radioimmunotherapy in Stem Cell Transplantation for Non-Hodgkin'...( CHICAGO June 2 /- At the 44th Ann...)

CHICAGO, June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), two studies were presented investigating the potential utility of Zevalin(R) (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan) radioimmunotherapy as replacement for external beam radiations or supplement to high-dose chemotherapy in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) (Nasdaq: CTIC; MTA) markets Zevalin in the United States.

"These two studies add to the increasing body of data suggesting that radioimmunotherapy may be a useful adjunct to stem cell transplantation in late stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It appears not to delay engraftment or add substantially to the toxicities of high dose chemotherapy," said Jack W. Singer, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at CTI. "Controlled studies to determine the actual risk and benefit of RIT in this setting are warranted."

Phase I Trial of (90)Yttrium Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (RIT) with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Abstract 8565

In the phase I trial, 24 relapsed or refractory low-grade B-cell NHL patients, who had received a median of three prior regimens, were treated with escalating doses of RIT based on patient-specific organ dosimetry. Of the 18 patients treated with RIT as single-agent salvage therapy, 13 (72 percent) achieved a complete response (CR) and three patients achieved a partial response (PR). Median time to progression (TTP) was estimated to be nine months, which did not appear to differ regardless of RIT dose. The investigators concluded that patient-specific, organ dosimetry-based significant dose escalation with RIT was achieved with outpatient ASCT su
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