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US Oncology Research Affiliated Investigators Participated in Studies that will be Presented at the 2011 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen leading investigators affiliated with US Oncology Research participated in studies that will be presented and displayed at the 53rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, California. ASH will take place Dec. 10-13 and is an educational and scientific program that helps Hematology professionals stay up-to-date on the latest research, therapies, and tools needed to be successful in their field.

Jeff Sharman, M.D., medical oncologist with Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center - Riverbend, participated in a study that will be presented Dec. 13 at 8:30 am PST in an oral presentation. The study titled "The Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Inhibitor PCI-32765 Induces Durable Responses in Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL): Follow-up of a Phase Ib/II Study," shows that PCI-32765 is a very well tolerated once daily pill with significant activity in CLL and Mantle Cell lymphoma.

"When we presented our data with the Syk inhibitor fostamatinib at the ASH plenary session in 2008, B Cell Receptor signaling inhibitors were heralded as a breakthrough on par with the original use of chlorambucil, adriamycin, and rituximab," said Dr. Sharman. "At the time, the assertion seemed excessively optimistic. Now with mature data on agents such as PCI-32765, CAL-101, and AVL-292, which each target proteins in the BCR signaling pathway, I have become a believer."

Dr. Sharman is involved in five separate presentations involving lymphoid malignancies and is first author in two. "Our US Oncology Research group has been able to take a leadership position in drug development for CLL / NHL," added Dr. Sharman. "It is very exciting to be as involved with these projects as we are."

Roger Lyons, M.D., F.A.C.P., president and hematologist with Cancer Care Centers of South Texas, participated in another study that will also be presented orally Dec. 12 at 7:15 am PST titled "Consistent Benefit of Ruxolitinib Over Placebo in Spleen Volume Reduction and Symptom Improvement Across Subgroups and Overall Survival Advantage: Results From COMFORT-I." The study conducted was a randomized, placebo-controlled study of 309 Myelofibrosis patients to establish the effects of ruxolitinib or a placebo. This drug was approved by the FDA on Nov. 16 based on this data and a previous phase 2 study. Unlike many other drug developments, approval was achieved in less than five years from initiation of the first in human trials.

"During the oral presentation, the effects of this new drug will be revealed to show whether Myelofibrosis patients will now have a therapy targeting their specific cancer, which they've never had before," said Dr. Lyons. "It is an exciting discovery."

Drs. Lyons and Sharman, along with several other US Oncology Research affiliated investigators, were involved in ten other abstracts that will be displayed as posters at the conference.

                                5:30-7:30 pm PST,  Saturday, Dec. 10: A
                                Phase 1 Study of the Selective
                                Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Delta
                                (PI3KD) Inhibitor, CAL-101 (GS-1101), in
                                Combination with Rituximab and/or
                                Bendamustine in Patients with Relapsed or
                                Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
                                (CLL)
                                Jeff Sharman, MD(1)*, Sven de Vos, MD,
                                PhD(2)*, John P. Leonard, MD(3), Richard R.
                                Furman, MD(4), Steven E. Coutre, MD(5), Ian
                                W. Flinn, MD, PhD(6), Marshall T.
                                Schreeder(7)*, Jaqueline C. Barrientos,
                                MD(8), Nina D. Wagner-Johnston(9), Thomas
                                Boyd, MD(10)*, Nathan H. Fowler, MD(11),
                                Leanne Holes(12)*, Brian Lannutti(12), David
                                Johnson(12)*, Thomas M. Jahn(12)* and
                                Langdon L Miller(12)*

                                5:30-7:30 pm PST,  Saturday, Dec. 10:
                                Variation in Health-Related Quality of Life
                                by Age among Patients with Chronic
                                Lymhocytic Leukemia
                                Chris L. Pashos, PhD(1)*, Christopher R
                                Flowers, MD(2), Mark Weiss, MD(3)*, Nicole
                                Lamanna, MD(4), Charles M Farber, MD,
                                PhD(5)*, Thomas J. Kipps, M.D., Ph.D(6),
                                Susan Lerner, MS, BA(7)*, Neil Kay, MD(8),
                                Jeff Porte Sharman, MD(9), David L.
                                Grinblatt, MD(10)*, Ian W. Flinn, MD,
                                PhD(11), Mark Kozloff, MD(12)*, Arlene S
                                Swern, PhD(13)*, Zeba M. Kahn, Ph.D(13)*,
                                Thomas K. Street, RPh(13)*, Kristen A
                                Sullivan, MBA(14)*, Gale Harding, MA(15)*
                                and Michael J Keating, MD(16)

                                6:00-8:00 pm PST, Sunday, Dec. 11: 24-Month
                                Analysis of the Impact of Chelation on
                                Clinical Outcomes in a 600 Patient Registry
                                of Lower-Risk MDS Patients
                                Roger M. Lyons, MD(1,2), Billie J.
                                Marek(1,3)*, Surabhi Sharma(4)*, Carole
                                Paley(4)*, Jason Esposito(4)*, Lawrence
                                Garbo, MD(1,5), Nicholas DiBella(1,6)* and
                                Guillermo Garcia-Manero(7)

                                6:00-8:00 pm PST, Sunday, Dec. 11: Phase 1
                                Dose-Ranging Study of Oral Ezatiostat
                                Hydrochloride (Telintra(R), TLK199) in
                                Combination with Lenalidomide (Revlimid(R))
                                in Patients with Non-Deletion(5q) Low to
                                Intermediate-1 Risk Myelodysplastic
                                Syndrome (MDS)
                                Azra Raza, MD(1), Naomi Galili, Ph.D.(2)*,
                                Deborah Mulford, MD(3), Scott E. Smith, MD,
                                PhD, FACP(4)*, Gail Brown, MD(5), Lisa Meng,
                                PhD(5)*, David P. Steensma, MD(6), Roger M.
                                Lyons, MD(7,8), Ralph Boccia, MD(9)*,
                                Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS(10), Guillermo
                                Garcia-Manero(11) and Ruben A. Mesa, MD(12)

                                6:00-8:00 pm PST, Sunday, Dec. 11: Patterns
                                of Care for Patients with Chronic
                                Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): The Connect CLL
                                Disease Registry
                                Jeff Sharman, MD(1)*, Christopher R Flowers,
                                MD(2)*, Mark Weiss, MD(3)*, David Grinblatt,
                                MD(4)*, Charles Farber, MD, PhD(5)*, Neil
                                Kay, MD(6), Thomas Kipps, MD(7)*, Nicole
                                Lamanna, MD(8)*, Chris Pashos, PhD(9)*, Ian
                                W Flinn, MD(10)*, Mark Kozloff, MD(11)*,
                                Susan Lerner, MS(12)*, Arlene S Swern,
                                PhD(13)*, Kristen A Sullivan, MBA(14)*,
                                Thomas K. Street, RPh(13)* and Michael
                                Keating, MBBS(12)*

                                6 :00-8 :00 pm PST, Sunday, Dec. 11: A Phase
                                1 Study of the Selective
                                Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Delta
                                (PI3KD) Inhibitor, Cal 101 (GS-1101), in
                                Combination with Rituximab and/or
                                Bendamustine in Patients with Previously
                                Treated, Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
                                (iNHL)
                                Sven de Vos, MD, PhD(1)*, Marshall T.
                                Schreeder(2)*, Ian W. Flinn, MD, PhD(3),
                                Steven E. Coutre, MD(4), John P. Leonard,
                                MD(5), Nina D. Wagner-Johnston(6), Nathan
                                H. Fowler, MD(7), Ralph V. Boccia, MD(8),
                                Jaqueline C. Barrientos, MD(9), Thomas Boyd,
                                MD(10)*, Jeff Sharman, MD(11)*, Leanne
                                Holes(12)*, Brian Lannutti(12), Dave M.
                                Johnson(12), Thomas M. Jahn(12)* and Langdon
                                L Miller(12)*

                                6 :00-8 :00 pm PST, Sunday, Dec. 11: Update
                                of an Open-Label Extension Study Evaluating
                                the Long-Term Safety & Efficacy of
                                Romiplostim in Thrombocytopenic Patients
                                with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
                                Pierre Fenaux, MD, PhD(1), Hagop M.
                                Kantarjian(2), Petra Muus, MD, PhD(3), Roger
                                M. Lyons, MD(4), Richard A. Larson, MD(5),
                                Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS(6), Pamela S.
                                Becker, MD, PhD(7), Catherine Jia, PhD(8)*
                                and Allen S. Yang, MD, PhD(9)

                                6 :00-8 :00 pm PST, Sunday, Dec. 11: A
                                Critical Population Analysis of 57,500 US
                                Multiple Myeloma Patients: Impact of Race,
                                Age, and Decade of Treatment on Overall
                                Survival
                                Hakan Kaya, MD(1), Danko Martincic, MD(2),
                                Irfan Jawed, MD(1)*, Ben Peressini, MS(1)*,
                                Ameer L Elaimy(1)* and Christopher M Lee,
                                MD(1)*

                                6:00-8:00 pm PST, Monday, Dec. 12:
                                Demographics, Treatment Patterns, Safety,
                                and Real-World Effectiveness in Patients
                                >70 Years of Age with Chronic Lymphocytic
                                Leukemia Receiving Bendamustine with or
                                without Rituximab
                                Kathryn S. Kolibaba, MD(1,2), Avani D. Joshi,
                                BPharm, PhD(2)*, James A. Sterchele,
                                PharmD(3), Michael Forsyth, RPh, MBA(2)*,
                                Erin Alwon, MS(2)*, Hooman Beygi, PhD(3)*
                                and Gerard T. Kennealey, MD(3)
                               ---------------------------------------------

                                6:00-8:00 pm PST, Monday, Dec. 12: Use of
                                Rituximab in a Study Comparing the
                                Thrombopoietin Mimetic Romiplostim with
                                Standard of Care (SOC) in Patients with
                                Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
                                Jeffrey Wasser, MD(1), Ralph Vincent V.
                                Boccia, MD(2), Roger M. Lyons, MD(3), Romeo
                                Mandanas(4)*, Ingrid Pabinger(5), Marc
                                Michel IV(6)*, Jean-Francois Viallard, MD-
                                PhD(7)*, Xuena Wang, PhD(8)* and Richard
                                Lizambri, MD(8)*

In addition to the above abstracts being presented at the conference, they were also published in print and online in the November 18 supplemental volume of Blood.

Many clinical studies led by US Oncology Research affiliated physicians were also prominently featured at numerous conferences held around the world, including the annual congress for the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the annual meeting for the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). Those studies, along with more than 72 published investigator-initiated manuscripts, featured forward looking clinical research topics that are helping advance cancer care today and discover improved therapies for the cancer care of tomorrow. For a complete list, please contact US Oncology Research at 281-863-1000.

About US Oncology Research
McKesson Specialty Health conducts clinical trials through US Oncology Research, which draws from a network of experienced investigators and dedicated clinical staff who specialize in Phase I through Phase IV oncology clinical trials. US Oncology Research serves more than 90 sites in over 250 locations managing more than 200 active trials at any given time. Physicians in the research network have enrolled more than 50,000 patients in over 1,200 trials since inception in 1992 and have contributed to the development of 43 cancer therapies approved by the FDA. For more information call (800) 482-6700, option 4 or visit www.usoncology.com/oncologists.

About McKesson Specialty Health
McKesson Specialty Health, a division of McKesson Corporation, empowers the community patient care delivery system to advance the science, technology and quality of care. Through innovative clinical, research, business and operational solutions, facilitated by integrated technology systems, we improve the financial health of our customers and help them provide quality care for patients. For more information, visit www.mckessonspecialtyhealth.com.

1. Names that are bold are affiliated with US Oncology Research

SOURCE McKesson Specialty Health