E. Anders Kolb, Chief Executive Officer of Blood Cancer United, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Today we announced a first‑of‑its‑kind intervention from a nonprofit.
Blood Cancer United has stepped up to preserve access to a promising investigational therapy – luveltamab tazevibulin – for children with an ultra‑rare and often fatal form of AML.
When the therapy no longer had a path to development for its primary indication in adult cancer, a compassionate use program for children with AML was discontinued. Blood Cancer United has acquired the remaining supply and the rights to make it available – at no cost to patients – through the FDA’s compassionate‑use pathway.
Healthcare providers or caregivers interested in learning more about how to access this treatment can email luveltamab@bloodcancerunited.org.
In the past few years, this drug has already proven transformative for families like Aspen Peck’s. Around her first birthday, Aspen was diagnosed with this form of AML – so rare it’s only seen in an estimated 17 children in the U.S. each year. After relapsing post‑transplant, she received luveltamab tazevibulin through compassionate use—and has been in remission since early 2022.
‘When Aspen was diagnosed, we were told it would be a miracle if she reached kindergarten – and she’ll be finishing kindergarten next week,‘ said her father Troy Peck. ‘This drug gave our daughter another chance—and every family facing this diagnosis deserves that chance.’
This is what it looks like when we act boldly for patients. We’re especially proud to share this news during National Cancer Survivors Month. At Blood Cancer United, our work is all about giving patients and families more time – more birthdays, more milestones, more moments that matter.
This effort is funded through Dare to Dream, a Blood Cancer United project dedicated to transforming pediatric cancer treatment and care. Thank you to our Dare to Dream leaders Gwen Nichols, Ann Cahill Collins, Jennifer Lukin, and Jim Brewer for helping make this intervention possible.
And a big thank you to Lauren Chan, PhD, RD at STAT for covering this news today.
This unprecedented acquisition also rests on the shoulders of Blood Cancer United-funded foundational research that helped in the development of luveltamab for children.
See comments for links to the press release and STAT story.”
Other articles featuring E. Anders Kolb on OncoDaily.