On Thursday, GlaxoSmithKline PLC released a very encouraging statement: the tests it has been performing with its experimental leukemia drug brought in positive results for patients who hadn’t responded well to any other therapy.

The conclusions have been drawn based on the reactions the almost 140 patients presented, after having been administered the ofatumumab treatment. The patients, diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), had been found to be refractory to both fludarabine and alemtuzumab, which made their situation even more worrying.

Company officials said they could file for the drug’s US regulatory approval by the end of 2008. For the development of the injectable drug, the British drugmaker is working alongside Danish biotech Genmab A/S.

Lisa N. Drakeman, Chief Executive Officer of Genmab, said everyone was thrilled to see the outcome of the two companies’ joint efforts and that Genmab is now on its way to filling the first ever marketing application for an antibody; she added that the team was looking forward to continuing the work with GSK.

Leukemia, a form of cancer that affects blood and bone marrow, has long been the subject of numerous studies and experiments; up to this point however, the results haven’t been that good.

GlaxoSmithKline and Genmab are also trying to use ofatumumab, which is in fact a human antibody, for treating various types of lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis as well as forms of multiple sclerosis.