Congress Encouraged To Continue Senator Kennedy’s Legacy Of Supporting Stem Cell Research & Development – The CEO of Cryo-Cell International, a stem cell research company, has encouraged Congress to continue initiatives that Senator Kennedy strongly supported. Senator Kennedy’s legacy of supporting stem cell research and development was responsible for improving health research, human services, and well-being. Senator Kennedy strongly supported the Hematological Cancer Investment Research and Education Act of 2001. This bill increased research and education on blood cancers, including …

FDA Grants Priority Review Status To Velcade – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted priority review to the supplemental new drug application for Velcade (bortezomib) from Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. The supplemental new drug application includes long-term overall survival data from the Phase 3 Vista trial, which examined treatment with Velcade in patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma. Applications granted priority review are approved by the FDA within six months instead of ten. For more information, …

Perifosine Receives Orphan-Drug Designation – Keryx Biopharmaceuticals announced that perifosine has been designated an Orphan-Drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of multiple myeloma. This designation greatly improves the marketable opportunity of perifosine for Keryx. Keryx is also in an agreement with the FDA for a Special Protocol Assessment for a Phase 3 trial in relapsed multiple myeloma that is expected to begin by the end of 2009. For more information, please see …

Lisa Ray Diagnosed With Multiple Myeloma – Bollywood star Lisa Ray, age 37, revealed on her blog on September 8 that she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma on June 23. In Ray’s blog, The Yellow Diaries, she shares her personal journey facing myeloma. For more information, please see the India-server article.

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Enters Research And License Option Agreement With Roche Group – On September 9, ImmunoCellular Therapeutics entered into a research and license agreement for its ICT-69 …

Give And Get Campaign Results – The Gap Give and Get Campaign, which benefited The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), was held from July 30 to August 2. The Gap is donating 5 percent of its sales during this period to the LLS, raising a total of $500,000 to support blood cancer research. For more information, please visit the LLS Web site.

Royal Hospital In Oman Setting Up Stem Cell Bank And Transplantation Unit – The Royal Hospital in …

Research Confirms MGUS Is Linked To Myeloma, But May Not Be Linked To As Many Diseases As Previously Thought – According to a study published in the August 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) may not be linked to as many serious diseases as previously thought. MGUS is a symptomless blood disorder that is a precursor of multiple myeloma. This study confirmed a link between MGUS and 14 diseases.  However, before this study, it …

FDA Approves Clinical Trials For Milatuzumab-Doxorubicin Combination – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Immunomedics Inc.'s investigational new drug application for its milatuzumab-based treatment for multiple myeloma.  This drug has doxorubicin (Adriamycin), a chemotherapy drug, bound to milatuzumab, an antibody.  It will be studied in Phase 1/2 clinical trials to evaluate safety and tolerability of the drug in patients with persistent or recurring myeloma.  This drug is also undergoing preclinical studies for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's …