A new drug developed at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation appears to be effective against hairy cell leukemia and to fight other types of blood cancer as well . The medicine , called 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine , or 2-CdA is being called the drug of choice in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia and is being tested against lymphocytic tumors , non - Hodgkins lymphoma and cutaneous T cell lymphoma . Two other drugs , interferon and deoxycoformycin , similar to this , have been developed in recent years but interferon is less effective and both produce side effect . Hairy cell leukemia affects the white blood cells that make disease-fighting antibodies. The only unwanted effect of both was a few days of fever .
A new drug developed at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation appears to be effective against hairy cell leukemia and to fight other types of blood cancer as well . The medicine , called 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine , or 2-CdA is being called the drug of choice in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia and is being tested against lymphocytic tumors , non - Hodgkins lymphoma and cutaneous T cell lymphoma . Two other drugs , interferon and deoxycoformycin , similar to this , have been developed in recent years but interferon is less effective and both produce side effect . The only unwanted effect of both was a few days of fever .