Arzerra (Ofatumumab) for Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

How Beneficial is It?

Patients with chronic lymphoytic leukemia (CLL), whose cancer has become non-responsive to standard chemotherapeutic regimens, now have a new hope with the recent approval of a new drug, Arzerra (ofatumumab).

But how beneficial will Arzerra be in the treatment of patients with refractory or treatment-resistant CLL?

CLL in a nutshell

CLL is a gradually advancing cancer of the blood and the bone marrow. It is a type of leukemia resulting from the presence of too many blood stem cells that develop into abnormal white blood cells (lymphocytes), mostly B lymphocytes. According to the National Cancer Institute, these abnormal lymphocytes are unable to effectively fight infection. And as these abnormal lymphocytes increases in the blood and the bone marrow, "there is less room for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets," resulting in "infection, anemia, and easy bleeding."

This type of leukemia primarily affects people who are at least 50 years of age. Every year, an estimated 16,000 people are diagnosed with CLL and an estimated 4,400 people die from this form of cancer.

A look at Arzerra (ofatumumab)

Arzerra (ofatumumab) is a drug classified as a monoclonal antibody - a form of biotechnology product. The body's immune system produces naturally occurring antibodies as a response to invading foreign bodies or organisms. As a monoclonal antibody, Arzerra acts to bind specifically to a protein located on the surface of both normal and cancerous B cells, rendering the cells more vulnerable to the action of the immune system.

According to a news release issued by the FDA, the new drug, Arzerra (ofatumumab) has been approved under the agency's accelerated approval process which facilitates the approval of drugs that are meeting previously unaddressed medical needs. Arzerra is manufactured by London-based drug company GlaxoSmithKline.