Adult Acute Leukemia

The Need

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In AML, the bone marrow makes many primitive cells called blasts. Blasts normally develop into white blood cells that fight infection. However, the blasts are abnormal in AML. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The bone marrow may also make abnormal red blood cells and platelets. The number of abnormal cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. They crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs.

Despite significant, often dramatic improvements in clinical outcomes for children with acute leukemia and for adults with chronic leukemias, the outcomes for adults who develop acute leukemia remain poor.

Our Solution

COTI has identified multiple cell signaling targets (i.e. tyrosine kinases) that are critical in the development of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in adults. Three compounds that inhibit multiple targets have been patented by COTI for the treatment of Acute Leukemia in adults and have undergone proof-of-concept preclinical testing. These scaffolds are currently being developed into a small library of ~10-12 optimized low toxicity small molecules.