A MAN “at death’s door” after running out of treatment options for leukemia has become the second person in the world to be offered an experimental cancer drug that eradicated traces of the disease within months.
Joe Murphyfrom Hulme, Greater Manchester, was given the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial after his blood cancer treatment stopped working.
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He was given a drug known as NX-5948.
It’s so new it doesn’t have its own name, but it aims to treat patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) whose cancer has stopped responding to treatment or has returned.
It is not uncommon for CLL to become resistant to current treatments available, but the experimental drug may resolve this problem.
Developed by Nurix Therapeutics, NX-5948 is part of a new class of blood cancer treatments called “degraders,” which eliminate a protein in cells responsible for driving cancer growth.
The 59-year-old former bar manager started taking the medication in June 2023 and the results of his latest tests show no traces of blood cancer.
Joe, originally from Seaforth in Merseyside, said: “I was at death’s door six months ago with no other options.
“Mentally I wasn’t well. It’s been very difficult and if it wasn’t for this clinical trial I wouldn’t be here.”
He described NX-5648 as “amazing” and “something out of a science fiction movie”, keeping it “alive and well since June last year”.
“It’s been a very difficult nine years, but now I can look to the future and plan to celebrate my 60th birthday in December,” Joe added.
OUT OF OPTIONS
He first fell ill in May 2015, at age 50, and was admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
There, he received the devastating news that he had chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and needed an urgent bone marrow transplant.
CLL is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow and tends to develop very slowly.
Bone marrow is the soft inner part of bones, which produces blood cells.
Joe was referred to Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, but doctors were unable to find a bone marrow match for the former pub manager.
Instead, he received a series of medications to treat the cancer and went into remission for five years.
But Joe’s body became resistant to treatment in April 2023, quickly losing three stone when the medications stopped working.
As his immune system was very weak, Joe developed a bacterial infection, sepsis and even contracted meningitis, having to be hospitalized several times.
It was then discovered that the cancer had spread to his spinal fluid and brain, further harming his chances of survival.
‘SUCH RELIEF’
Out of options, Joe enrolled in an early clinical trial of NX-5658 for the treatment of CLL at Christie.
He started out taking one capsule a day, but has increased the dose since the start of the study, now taking six pills a day.
The former bar manager said he feels fit and healthy, visiting his doctor monthly and having checkups quarterly.
His last blood tests found no evidence of CLL.
“I’m gaining weight again, my blood count is good, my lymph nodes are back to normal and it has worked successfully to get rid of the cancer in my brain, which is a huge relief,” Joe said.
Although doctors don’t know how long this will keep the disease under control, Joe says he is now “hopeful” and can celebrate his 60th birthday.
‘VERY PROMISING’
According to Dr Emma Searle, consultant haematologist at The Christie, Joe’s successful treatment brings hope to others with CLL.
“This could be the breakthrough we’ve been looking for in the treatment of CLL,” she said.
“The drug targets a pathway that CLL cells are particularly dependent on and essentially blows it up.
“As clinicians, we are excited because we are seeing a response, even at low doses, in patients who have exhausted all standard treatment options and are very difficult to treat.
“Seeing some of our patients like Joe respond so well to treatment, with minimal side effects, is very promising.
“Only time will tell if this will reach the market, but it is as promising as an early phase study can be.”
It comes after scientists revealed they were onto a “promising” new treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, which can destroy the oxygen sensors that cancer cells use to survive and multiply.
CLL accounts for 38% of all leukemia cases and is the most common leukemia diagnosed in adults.
More than 3,803 Brits are diagnosed with cancer every year – 40% of all new cases of CLL are found in people aged 75 and over.
What are the symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?
MANY people with CLL have no symptoms, and the cancer is often detected in routine blood tests.
Symptoms can be vague, starting out mild and getting worse over time.
CLL can cause:
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck or under the arms and abdominal discomfort due to an enlarged spleen (an organ just below the ribs)
- Weight loss even if you are eating normally, as CLL uses up energy that your body would otherwise use or store
- Infections that do not improve, due to abnormal white blood cells not being able to fight infections as well as healthy ones
- Tiredness, even if you are getting enough sleep
- Anemia, as lack of space in the bone marrow interferes with the production of red blood cells that normally help carry oxygen around the body – you may feel short of breath and tired
- Unexplained bleeding or bruising or unusually heavy periods
- Bone pain and night sweats
Source: Cancer research in the UK
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