Cell Therapeutics shares soar on Phase III data

A late-stage study of Cell Therapeutics' pixantrone demonstrated its ability to significantly increase the remission rates of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. And investors moved swiftly to push its stock up 47 percent on the news.

In addition to increased remission rates, the 140-patient study also revealed an increase in overall response rates and progression-free survival and a boost in the percentage of patients whose response lasted for more than four months, according to a report in Bloomberg.

That data was good enough to persuade Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics to push for an expedited review of the therapy. CEO James Bianco says an approval could come as early as the fourth quarter.

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- read the story from Bloomberg