• Lymphomas are the most common type of blood cancer in the U.S. and the 6th most common cancer in adults. There are two categories of lymphomas: Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). NHL is the most common.


• There were approximately 56,000 new cases of NHL diagnosed in the U.S. in 2005 (according to ACS) and the overall incidence is increasing, with approximately 24,000 people dying of NHL each year.


• Researchers at Harvard-Dana Farber and the Max Plank Institute have shown that Syk overactivity is an essential mechanism in the survival of several types of b-cell lymphomas.


• Rigel's novel, oral syk kinase inhibitor, R788, potentially slows the growth of b-cell lymphomas driven by syk overactivity.

• Rigel announced preliminary results in their Phase 2 clinical study showing the benefit of R788 in Diffuse Large B-Cell and SLL/CLL lymphomas.
• Rigel initiated a multi-center Phase 2 study to evaluate R788 for the treatment of patients with b-cell lymphomas in April 2007. The study is focusing on refractory diffuse large, follicular and other lymphomas.
• Rigel filed an IND for R788 in lymphoma in December 2006.

• Rigel received preliminary results in their Phase 2 clinical trial in 1H'08. The study is continuing and further results will be available in the 2H'08.

• Preliminary Phase 2 Results of R788 in Lymphoma Show Benefit in Diffuse Large B-Cell and SLL/CLL


• Rigel's R788 Shows Promise for Treating B-Cell Lymphoma and Leukemia in Preclinical Studies
  

• UR doing world's first trial of pill targeting lymphoma

• Rigel Phase 1 & 2 R788 in B-Cell Lymphoma

Disease background
Lymphoma is a large class of blood cancers that affect the lymphatic system, which is responsible for fighting infections and attacking foreign intruders in the body and is part of the immune system. In 2006, lymphoma affected an estimated 500,000 Americans, with 332,000 of them suffering from non-Hodgkin's varieties of the disease. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) is the most common cancer of the lymphatic system and is broadly divided into two groups: b-cell lymphoma and t-cell lymphoma. Approximately 80% of patients with NHL have the b-cell variety, which is characterized by the uncontrolled growth and accumulation of malignant b-cells in the body.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL) is the most common type of NHL and is generally categorized as aggressive, marked by rapidly growing tumors in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow and other organs. DLCL accounts for up to 30% of newly diagnosed cases. Another aggressive form of NHL is Mantle cell lymphoma that arises from the "mantle" zone of the lymph node.

A variety of treatment options exist, including chemotherapy and radiation, but the five year survival rates for NHL patients are only about 50%. For those who do respond to treatment, recurrences of the disease are common, warranting additional and novel approaches to treatment of the lymphoma.

• www.lymphoma.org
• www.lymphomainfo.net