MONTREAL, QUEBEC, Sep 13, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Editors note: There is a video associated with this release.
Canadians diagnosed with two common types of cancer now have a new treatment option available to them, following Health Canada’s approval of Lundbeck Canada’s chemotherapy treatment, Treanda (bendamustine hydrochloride for injection).
Lundbeck Canada has also produced a new video in time for World Lymphoma Awareness Day (September 15), aimed at helping children better understand and cope with cancer in their family.
Treanda Now Available in Canada
Approved since 2010 in Europe and 2008 in the U.S. for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and relapsed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL), Treanda is a chemotherapy that now offers Canadians a new treatment option.
“I am very pleased that we are now able to make Treanda available in Canada thereby offering a new treatment option for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and relapsed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” said Patrick Cashman, President and CEO of Lundbeck Canada. “For more than a decade, Lundbeck has been a respected leader in developing and bringing central nervous system disorder treatments to Canadians in a way that reflects our Danish origins of respecting every individual and taking care of one another. It is with this mindset that Lundbeck is bringing Treanda to Canada, wishing to give hope, strength and humanity to Canadian cancer patients.”
Treanda is approved in patients with symptomatic chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have received no prior treatment and in relapsed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) who did not respond to or progressed during or shortly following treatment with a rituximab regimen.
“With the approval of Treanda, we now have a new option for patients with previously untreated CLL and indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas that has progressed,” said Dr. John Kuruvilla, Clinical Investigator, Princess Margaret Hospital, Ontario. “For some patients with CLL, Treanda could result in much longer remission periods compared with chlorambucil. And for some patients with iNHL whose cancer has progressed after treatment with rituximab, Treanda could help reduce their cancer burden.”
Children’s Video – There’s Cancer in my Family
Lundbeck has been helping Canadians for more than a decade and has always been primarily focused on helping patients and their families. With the launch of Treanda, Lundbeck builds on that reputation by putting a special focus on young children who are affected by a loved one’s cancer diagnosis.
Recognizing that kids can have many questions when a loved one develops cancer, but that kids may not know who or how to ask about it, Lundbeck has developed a video designed to help start a conversation between adults and children. The video deals primarily with how cancer affects everyone in the family and not just the patient.
“Not only are we excited about the availability of Treanda in Canada, but it is very timely to have a new video available for World Lymphoma Awareness Day. This annual event is held every September 15 and is a day dedicated to raising awareness of lymphoma. It provides a chance for doctors, nurses, patient support groups, patients and their families to join forces in a united campaign to inform the public about lymphoma, its signs and symptoms and how it affects lives of thousands of people around the world,” said Sue Robson, Executive Director of Lymphoma Foundation Canada. “The fact that Lundbeck Canada has supported the development of this video shows that they truly understand the broad needs of cancer patients.”
The video is available online click here to view.
About Treanda(R) (bendamustine hydrochloride for injection)
Treanda has a unique chemical structure with two primary components, an alkylating group and a benzimidazole component. Preclinical data suggest that Treanda can lead to cell death via several pathways. Treanda damages the DNA in cancer cells, which leads to cell death by a process known as apoptosis (programmed cell death) as well as by an alternate cell death (non-apoptotic) pathway known as mitotic catastrophe (a disruption of normal cell division). The exact mechanism of action of Treanda remains unknown.
In February 2011, Lundbeck announced that the company had been granted exclusive rights to Treanda in Canada, as well as the commercial rights to several Cephalon Inc. products in Canada and Latin America. Cephalon Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Key products in the agreement include Treanda(R), Fentora(R) (fentanyl buccal tablet) (C-II), Provigil(R), Trisenox(R) (arsenic trioxide) injection and Nuvigil(R). Some products may not be available in Canada.
Important Safety Information
Treanda has serious warning and precautions identified in the product monograph. The following are clinically significant adverse events: myelosuppression, infections (including fatalities) and second malignancies. Treanda should not be used in patients with serious infections. Treanda should be administered under the supervision of a qualified health professional who is experienced in oncology. The most common adverse events in the CLL trial were myelosuppression, fever, nausea and vomiting. The most common adverse events in the iNHL trial were myelosuppression, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and constipation.
For additional information, please refer to product monograph.
About Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes, the white blood cells the body needs to fight infection. Currently more than 32,000 Canadians suffer from non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), which accounts for 3.7 per cent of all cancer-related deaths, making it the seventh-highest cause of death from cancer in Canada. Indolent NHL (iNHL), which makes up about 40 to 50 per cent of NHL cases, is a slow-growing form of cancer that may require repeated treatments throughout a patient’s life. It is estimated that in Canada about 2,500 patients are newly diagnosed with iNHL every year.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is considered to be both leukemia – a blood cancer – and lymphoma – a cancer of the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). CLL is the most common type of leukemia in adults, accounting for about one-third of all cases of leukemia. About 1,600 new patients are diagnosed with CLL in Canada every year.
About Lundbeck Canada
Montreal-based Lundbeck Canada is a subsidiary of H. Lundbeck A/S, a leading international research-based pharmaceutical company. Lundbeck has built its reputation as a leader in specialty treatments. For decades, we’ve concentrated our expertise on helping people everywhere fight CNS disorders such as Alzheimer, depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Now, we’re directing that same focus and energy to help cancer patients. Visit us at lundbeck.ca.
For more about Lundbeck and oncology, visit us at https://www.lundbeck.com/ca/en
Treanda(R) is a registered trademark of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries ltd. used with permission by Lundbeck Canada
