Alexion's Soliris reduces hemolysis in PNH

Data presented at the 14th annual meeting of the European Hematology Association, in Berlin, Germany, show that US drugmaker Alexion's  Soliris (eculizumab), a first-in-class terminal complement inhibitor,  reduced hemolysis and improved symptoms in nine patients with  paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria who had received no blood  transfusions prior to initiating Soliris therapy.

In a second analysis presented at the EHA conference, investigators  assessed the safety and efficacy of Soliris in the treatment of nine  patients with PNH who required no transfusions prior to starting  therapy.

All patients experienced a dramatic reduction in hemolysis following  treatment with Soliris for a median of 16 months, as measured by a  median reduction in LDH from 1,500 U/L before treatment to 356 U/L after  treatment (p=0.008). Overall, hemoglobin levels increased significantly  from 9.0 g/dL before treatment to 10.7 g/dL after therapy (p=0.0003),  with a median increase of 2.0g/dL. The investigator noted that patients  reported a marked improvement in quality of life. No serious adverse  events were reported.