Researchers at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) have invented an oral formulation of arsenic trioxide (Oral-ATO; ARSENOL) for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a blood cancer that once had a high fatality rate.

The invention and use of oral-ATO is of historic importance for medicine in Hong Kong. It is the first-ever prescription medication wholly invented and manufactured in Hong Kong, and also the first to obtain U.S., European and Japanese patents.

After more than two decades of dedicated work, the HKU research team successfully translated this Hong Kong invention into clinical practice by incorporating oral-ATO into the treatment plan of APL patients. Extensive clinical studies of oral-ATO have demonstrated its high efficacy and safety in curing APL patients, with an overall survival (OS) rate exceeding 97%, along with a significant reduction in side-effects and treatment burden.