[massin]

myeloma light chain and elotuzumab

by massin on Fri Jun 10, 2011 5:32 am

hello

my mother has been dignosed with myeloma LIGHT CHAINS in 2009.

My question is about elotozumab ; it looks very promissing and could be a next myeloma drug.

i wonder why it is not available for patients with light chain ( exclusion criteria).

It does'nt work for those patients ? ( in preclinical trial ) or because of the monitoring of these sub group ( difficult to assess the response to the treatment despite serum free light chain) ?


best regards

thanks

[Dr. Edward Libby]

Re: myeloma light chain and elotuzumab

by Dr. Edward Libby on Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:14 pm

Elotuzumab is only available in a research study at this time. It is not yet approved by the FDA.
There are 2 trials open in the United States using this drug.
The reason for the light chain exclusion may be because it is harder to quantitate and follow light chains and therefore it is harder to determine and define whether or not a patient is responding. I do not think it is because of an inherent resistance of patients with light chain myeloma to this agent.