A new cancer drug developed by Cambridge-based Ariad Pharmaceuticals could receive federal approval by early next year, offering new hope in some of the toughest cases, the company’s CEO said today.
Ponatinib is designed for patients who have failed other therapies for chronic myeloid leukemia, or CML, Harvey Berger said.
“Resistance to targeted cancer medicines is becoming common,” Berger said at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce innovation forum. “Our focus became: How do we overcome the resistance?”
In clinical trials, 54 percent of patients with CML responded favorably to Ponatinib, he said, and there is evidence the drug can be effective in fighting other cancers.
Ariad is committed to ensuring that every patient who needs Ponatinib will receive it, regardless of whether he or she can afford it, Berger said.
“Absolutely no patient will be left behind,” he said. “The entire driving force of the company is to transform the lives of cancer patients.”
Another Ariad therapy in the pipeline, AP26113, is a drug candidate for non-small cell lung cancer, Berger said.
With its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, its European headquarters in Switzerland and clinical trials in Japan, Ariad is building an integrated global cancer company, he said.