Hi Greenie, The Phase 1 trial took place in three locations; OHSU (Portland, OR, Dr. Druker was principal investigator,) UCLA where I was (Charles Sawyers ran the trial there) and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (Dr. Talpaz and Kantarjian.) This trial was called a dose escalation study. They were trying to find what the optimal dose was without being too toxic. The first patients took 25 mg and the trial ended at 1,000 mg if I remember correctly. Two patients entered the study at each dose level at each trial center. I don't remember if they escalated the dose by 25 mg each time or if they switched to 50 mg as the dose was greater. I took my first dose of 350 mg of STI 571 in April of 1999. I was lucky because they established that the drug isn't effective below 300 mg (at least that was the thinking at the time from these experts.) At UCLA we lost one of the first two patients because 25 mg was not enough to hold back his disease. We can say that he gave his life for us. Those of us in this trial were very sick people because the requirement to get in was that you failed or were intolerant of Interferon. We came out of the darkness into the light. I don't remember exactly the total number of people who were in the study, but I believe it was around 58-60 from all three centers by the time the study ended. I could be wrong and maybe there are people in this group who can be more accurate about that. Right before ASH as the doctors who were running the trial were preparing their report to present to that group revealing the drug's amazing success, word leaked out and the media jumped on it. When the media asked the UCLA media person for a patient to interview, I wound up being on CNN and NBC and in several national publications, both magazines and newspapers. I don't recommend getting your 15 minutes of fame that way, however. It's definitely the hard way. I wake up every day so grateful to be alive, even with my swollen eyes, muscle cramps, digestive problems, thin skin, low platelets and anemia. This miracle is a blessing to me and so many others. The success of Gleevec has spurred so much research in CML that would never have happened--research that has led to the second generation and third generation drugs, the conclusion that the stem cells are the source of the problem, and finally research into how to target those stem cells and eradicate them. What a fortunate turn of events for us CMLers! (We've gone from 30,000 to over 100,000 strong in just 10 years!) Is a cure just around the corner? I hope so. I have the deepest gratitude for all of you who are willing to participate in the studies that are now in progress and those studies that will take place in the future. You are our pioneers and without you we wouldn't have the treatment options we now have. With great respect, Virginia Garner ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Subject: [CMLHope] Re: interferon trial Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:56:48 EDT
Hi Virginia, One quick question, how many people were their in your trail. I was told their were either 38 or 40 people in one of the first studies. I was in a study starting in the end of 1999. I think the second study and their were 200 of us nation wide. Eight of us from Chicago land. Now I'm in one that has 300 of us world wide. Thanks, GreenieSpringfield, MO. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. Please help me fight cancer. Click here to help: www.active.com/donate/tntgla/walkingvirginia --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
