The IC-APL: Hoping to expand in the coming year

December 10, 2007 – The International Consortium on Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (IC-APL) is an exciting initiative designed to foster interactions between clinicians and researchers in developing countries, with the long-term goals of improving clinical care and creating the infrastructure for ongoing clinical trials and translational research in APL. For capacity-building purposes, each of the current participating countries–Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay–are implementing the clinical protocol for treatment of APL in a manner that tracks the implementation of a clinical trial protocol.

Since its founding in December 2004, the IC-APL has made significant progress. Treatment has started in centers in Brazil and Mexico, and Uruguay is awaiting IRB approval to initiate treatment in that country. As Dr. Nancy Berliner reported in the September/October 2007 issue of The Hematologist, "Clinical outcomes rival those in large clinical trials in developed countries, with a complete remission (CR) rate of 90 percent, with most patients in CR having evidence of molecular remission." All centers are using the Pediatric Oncology Networked Database (POND) and the Cure4Kids programs for data management. Although supported partly by ASH and partly by a grant from the Veronesi Foundation, much of the activity is being funded by local and national sources.

Bylaws detail organizational structure, membership, collection of data and storage of materials, cooperation on studies, and tissue and data banking related to such, as well as responsibilities of the participating countries. Although Brazil, Jordan, and Mexico were identified as "starter countries," the initiative may extend to other interested countries. There is a formal process for being selected to be a part of the IC-APL. Its activities are overseen by the Plenum, consisting of the Founding Members and the participating current National Coordinators.

The IC-APL will meet this month and plans to review information from other countries interested in participating, explore integrating pediatrics into the project, and identify other sources of funding to sustain the effort.

For more information on the IC-APL or questions about participating in this program, please contact LaFaundra Neville, Executive Assistant, at lneville@hematology.org.

This article originally appeared in the December 10, 2007, issue of ASH News Daily.