Stemline, LLS To Collaborate on BPDCN Treatment

Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (STML) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) will collaborate to accelerate the development of SL-401 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), a rare hematological disorder with both leukemic and lymphomatous characteristics. LLS has committed more than $3 million to support this effort, as well as providing a comprehensive educational program to increase physician and patient awareness of BPDCN.

SL-401, a novel targeted therapy directed to cancer stem cells (CSCs) and tumor bulk, has demonstrated efficacy in patients with advanced AML and BPDCN. This includes multiple durable complete responses (CRs) in both indications, a greater than 80% overall response rate (ORR) in BPDCN to date, and an improvement in overall survival (OS) of third-line AML patients relative to historical data.

“The development of SL-401, a novel targeted therapy directed to both tumor bulk and cancer stem cells, would be a significant advancement in the treatment of hematologic cancers that are among those most difficult to treat,” said Lee Greenberger, Ph.D., LLS’s chief scientific officer. “Our partnership with Stemline, funded under the Therapy Acceleration Program at LLS, is an excellent fit with LLS’s initiative to expedite the development of cutting edge therapies for patients with blood cancers.”