Authors' recommendations: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a cancer of white blood cells that starts in the bone marrow and develops quickly, usually over days or weeks. It causes too many white blood cells to be produced and is the most common type of leukaemia to affect children, but it is rare in adults. Minimal residual disease (MRD) is the name given to small numbers of cancer cells that remain in the patient after treatment when the patient is in remission (no symptoms or signs of disease). It is the major cause of relapse in leukaemia. Blinatumomab is a new drug that is used prevent this small number of cancer cells from increasing once a patient is in remission. Blinatumomab is a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody, which can seek out and target cancer cells. Blinatumomab is given in a drip (directly into a vein) for four weeks at a time. Blinatumomab is currently being studied to see how well it works and whether it is safe to use in people with ALL. If blinatumomab is licensed for use in the UK, it will offer a new treatment for people who have had ALL and are now in remission to prevent relapse.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2016

URL for published report: http://www.hsric.nihr.ac.uk/topics/blinatumomab-blincyto-for-b-precursor-acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia-minimal-residual-disease-patients-in-remission/

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre

Contact Address: The NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, 90 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SP. United Kingdom. Tel: +44 121 414 7831, Fax: +44 121 2269

Contact Name: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Contact Email: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Copyright: NIHR Horizon Scanning Research&Intelligence Centre (NIHR HSRIC)