OK432 (Picibanil) in the Treatment of Lymphatic Malformations

Lymphatic malformations are uncommon tumors that represent localized malformations in the development of the lymphatic system. They typically present in children under 2 years of age and in almost 50% of the cases, are diagnosed at birth. There is neither a racial nor a sexual tendency. The malformations can occur anywhere on the body, but typically they are in the head/neck area. Morbidity can be significant. Besides the obvious cosmetic deformity caused by these tumors, there is risk of infection and airway compromise and even obstruction. However, effective therapeutic options are limited. Small lesions can be observed, although spontaneous resolution is unlikely. For larger lesions, surgery has been the traditional form of therapy. In the head and neck, in particular, lymphangiomas typically wrap themselves around major neurovascular structures, making total excision removal difficult, if not impossible, and thus the likelihood of recurrence is quite high. Because of these surgical limitations, alternate therapies have been considered; including cryotherapy, diathermy, and chemical sclerotherapy. The investigators experience with using the drug for macrocystic disease(large cysts) since 1992 in the United States has been very promising compared to traditional surgery. Recurrence rate to date, has been very minimal as well. (\<2%) After the conclusion of the Phase 2 randomized study, all new subjects who presented with an LM and were eligible for treatment were treated under an open-label protocol for continued access to OK-432. This multicenter, open label study enrolled subjects between September 2005 and November 2017.