GSK starts REPEAT dosing of Promacta

UK-headquartered drug giant GlaxoSmithKline has initiated a global, open-label, single group trial that will assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Promacta (eltrombopag olamine) in patients previously treated for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The trial, called REPEAT (Repeat ExPosure to Eltrombopag in Adults with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura), will evaluate a repeated dosing schedule of three six-week cycles of Promacta treatment in 50 patients with chronic ITP who will be enrolled at multiple centers.

"The current treatment approaches to acutely increase the platelet count typically include treatment with steroids or IV gammaglobulin, both of which may have issues with tolerability or safety," says James Bussel, director of the Platelet Disorders Center, Children's Blood Foundation Division at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center , USA, and investigator for this trial. "Due to patients' varying clinical circumstances, it is important to validate the safety and effectiveness of repeated short-term treatment with eltrombopag in patients with chronic ITP," he added.