CyDex Begins Dosing Of CDX-353 In Phase 2 Trial For Myeloma Patients – Cydex Pharmaceuticals announced yesterday that it is initiating patient dosing in its Phase 2 trial of Propylene Glycol-Free Melphalan HCL (CDX-353), the company’s new form of melphalan (Alkeran). The trial compares CDX-353 with GlaxoSmithKline’s Alkeran in multiple myeloma patients who will be undergoing stem cell transplants (see related Beacon news).  For more information, please see the CyDex press release and the clinical trial …

Dacetuzumab Shows Some Potential For Multiple Myeloma – Results from a Phase 1 clinical trial show that dacetuzumab (SGN-40), an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody, has some anti-myeloma effects. The best response observed during the trial was stable disease in 20 percent of patients. The study authors found that doses up to 12 mg/kg per week were well tolerated. Most side effects were mild to moderate and included fatigue, headache, nausea, and anemia. The study authors suggest that dacetuzumab may produce better …

Celgene To Acquire Gloucester Pharmaceuticals And Potential Myeloma Drug Istodax – Celgene Corporation has announced its decision to merge with the privately held Gloucester Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $340 million in cash plus $300 million in future payments. The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2010. Gloucester’s first drug, Istodax (romidepsin), received FDA approval in November 2009 for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Clinical trials studying the effects of Istodax and Velcade (bortezomib) in multiple …

Individuals with multiple myeloma are recommended to get both the H1N1 (“swine flu”) vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine. In particular, most myeloma patients are advised to get the shot version of the H1N1 vaccine.

About The H1N1 Flu

The H1N1 flu, also referred to as “swine flu,” has caused thousands of hospitalizations and more than 600 deaths in the United States since it was first detected in April 2009.

It is spread through person-to-person contact, often by sneezing or …

On Monday, Onyx Pharmaceuticals agreed to purchase Proteolix, the developer of the cancer drug carfilzomib (Kyprolis), for $276 million. Carfilzomib, which is Proteolix’s leading cancer drug, has dem­onstrated significant tumor-reduction activity in Phase 1 trials of patients with re­lapsed multiple myeloma.

Similar to Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib), car­filz­o­mib is a proteasome inhibitor that blocks the activity of these protein-destroying enzymes and induces cancer cell death. Carfilzomib is cur­rently undergoing Phase 2 trials on patients with re­lapsed multiple myeloma, for which data will …