New drug could be game changer in treatment of leukemia

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI(AA) - A leading Indian institute has recently developed a drug which could be a game changer for thousands of patients suffering from leukemia.

The treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), cancer of the blood and bone marrow, is quite expensive in India and out of reach of the common man.

Leukemia is a form of blood cancer. According to experts, it mainly occurs in children below 20 and in adults who have crossed 60 years. There are many kinds of leukemia but the most common is ALL.

According to published data, almost 25,000 people in India get this type of cancer every year and they represent nearly one-fourth of all cancer cases among children. However, experts believe that the actual number of patients may be much more.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore has developed an asparaginase drug (M-ASPAR), which is a bacterial enzyme, using protein engineering to treat ALL. This research could be helpful in better treatment of ALL at a fraction of the existing cost.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, on the occasion of Leukemia Children’s Week which is organized every year from Nov. 2 to 8, Professor Avinash Sonawane, principal researcher at the Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering at IIT Indore, said: “Once it is approved after trials, it will be around 10 times cheaper than the current treatment available.”

Sonawane said that currently asparaginase is a mandatory drug in chemotherapy of ALL. There is no substitute for this enzyme, he added.

- Side effects

But it has serious side effects. The human body does not recognize it as cell protein. The patient's body produces antibodies against these drugs.

According to the IIT researchers, asparaginase is currently routinely administered for the treatment of ALL, but it causes side effects like immunogenicity, hypersensitivity, allergic reactions, neurotoxicity and toxicity to vital organs, including liver and spleen.

Sonawane said that efficacy of this drug is very less in relapse cases.

He further said: “Another disadvantage is that stability in blood is very poor. Therefore it is necessary to take repeated doses of this enzyme. It rapidly degrades in blood.”

“To overcome these we modified asparaginase enzymes by protein engineering approach,” he added.

The cost of treatment in foreign countries is around $150,000 for a 28-32-week treatment. Besides, the immunogenic nature of current asparaginase formulations is a big problem.

According to experts, in India generic enzymes whose efficacy is very poor were used for treatment.

- Clinical approval may take 2 years

After approval from the country's drug control authority, it may take around 2 to 2.5 years to conclude Phase I and II trials.

Medical experts the world over are working to develop improved versions of asparaginase with better safety profile.

Sonawane said researchers at IIT have been working for the last 12 years to develop a new asparaginase medicine with fewer serious side-effects and better efficiency in the treatment of primary and relapse ALL.

The research team, led by Sonawane, includes Ranjit Mehta, Soumika Sengupta and Mainak Biswas.

Sonwane said IIT researchers have been successful in developing M-ASPAR asparaginase that is notably less immunogenic. It is more stable in blood and can effectively destroy leukemic cells.

Asparaginase is in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. But according to researchers, it is not easily available in India and many other countries.