By Lauren ChanJune 11, 2026
AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow
In a rare move, nonprofit organization Blood Cancer United announced Thursday it was buying the remaining supplies of Luvelta, a discontinued investigational cancer drug.
As part of the transaction, Blood Cancer United, previously known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, will also acquire the investigational new drug designation and manage the compassionate-use program for children with a rare form of blood cancer, distributing the medication to patients at no cost while supplies last.
Luvelta (Luveltamab Tazevibulin) is an antibody-drug-conjugate targeting a folate receptor (FOLR1) — originally developed to target lung and ovarian tumors in adults — that can serve as a bridge to stem cell transplantation in a small subset of patients with acute myeloid leukemia. San Francisco-based Sutro Biopharma, which was developing Luvelta, decided to discontinue development in March 2025, to prioritize funding other drugs. And along with that, the compassionate-use program was eliminated.
