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MRK VRTX PhI results for MK-0457 in leukemia

Merck and Vertex announce Phase I results for investigational aurora kinase inhibitor MK-0457 (MRK) 43.93 : Co and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) announce results of a Phase I clinical trial for MK-0457, an investigational small molecule inhibitor of Aurora, FLT-3, JAK-2 and BCR-ABL kinases. The study showed that MK-0457 [VX-680] demonstrated clinical activity in select patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia with the T315I BCR-ABL mutation and also in patients with refractory JAK-2 positive myeloproliferative diseases. The results were presented in an oral presentation at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

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