A potential new drug for graft vs. host (and redemption, perhaps, for Harlan Waksal)

Graft vs. host can affect up to half of all bone marrow transplant patients — with many suffering from organ damage, immobile joints, skin rashes, and other autoimmune flareups. New York-based Kadmon is working on developing a drug to target chronic GVHD, and released preliminary trial results for the treatment on Sunday.

The drug reduced the disease’s severity in two-thirds of patients, and in three, the disease was completely eliminated. Final results should be released next quarter, and the company plans on applying for FDA approval this fall.

Notably, as STAT’s Adam Feuerstein points out, Kadmon is led by CEO Harlan Waksal — an exec with an infamous last name, thanks to his brother Sam’s insider trading scandal involving ImClone Systems and Martha Stewart. A positive Kadmon readout could mean, among other things, redemption for the Waksal surname.