A new cancer drug developed and tested in Sutton is set to prolong the lives of London's adult leukaemia sufferers.
The drug, known as GA101 (obinutuzumab), was tested and trialled by the Royal Marsden and research has shown it increases sufferers life expectancies by up to 59 per cent.
The findings are being presented at a leading cancer conference in the USA as the drug is made available to people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) - the most common form of adult leukaemia - in London.
Professor John Gribben, professor of medical oncology at Barts Cancer Institute in London said: "These data are very exciting and demonstrate the real potential of GA101 in changing the outlook for patients with CLL in London.
"Most patients are over the age of 60 and suffer from conditions such as heart disease making them unable to tolerate the most aggressive therapies and their options have been limited.
"The results of this trial show that GA101 provides a tolerable treatment option that can not only keep the cancer at bay for longer than the current standard of care, but prolong the lives of patients which is very encouraging news."
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