Dr. Robert Kyle is a multiple myeloma key opinion leader, physician, researcher, and professor at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Kyle has dedicated his life to caring for multiple myeloma patients and studying the disease.

His work in myeloma began with his residency at the Mayo Clinic in the late 1950s, where he measured monoclonal protein levels in more than 6,500 myeloma and non-myeloma patients to identify a spike characteristic of multiple myeloma. He has authored more than 850 research papers …

Celgene Corporation, the manufacturer of Revlimid (lenalidomide), announced on Monday that the company plans to file for approval of Revlimid as a treatment for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Celgene intends to file for regulatory approval in the United States and Europe in the second half of this year.

“Our objective is to make sure that the patients who have a fatal disease, a currently incurable disease, can take medicines that turn this into a chronic treatable disease,” said Celgene’s …

A recent study published in the journal Medical Oncology determined that the cytokine M-CSF is highly predictive of survival in multiple myeloma patients. In the study, researchers evaluated a diverse set of cytokines to determine their usefulness as prognostic factors in multiple myeloma.

Cytokines are proteins secreted by immune cells to generate an immune response. They are involved with allergic responses, inflammation, blood cell development, and the development of multiple myeloma and other types of cancer.

Currently, the International …

Research shows that papain, a compound found in papaya fruit trees, may serve as a useful supplementary therapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Papain is an enzyme that breaks down proteins. One such protein, called fibrin, makes up the protective layer of cancer cells. Papain degrades fibrin and damages this protective layer, making the cells more susceptible to immune response or chemotherapy. The compound also hinders tumor growth and prevents it from spreading to other parts of the body. …

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved changes to the prescribing information for Velcade (bortezomib), including the addition of long-term data from the VISTA trial showing that Velcade extends survival of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. New dose recommendations for patients with moderate to severe liver damage were also added. The changes were approved in response to a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) submitted by Velcade’s manufacturer, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company.

The VISTA trial, …

A recent study published in the journal Blood suggests that treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with Revlimid (lenalidomide) plus dexamethasone (Decadron) may be more effective and better tolerated than the approved thalidomide (Thalomid) plus dexamethasone regimen commonly used in newly diagnosed patients.

Both Revlimid and thalidomide are considered immunomodulatory agents. This means that they work by having an affect on the immune system. Specifically, these drugs are believed to encourage a patient’s immune system …

Preliminary re­­sults from an on­go­ing Phase 1/2 clin­i­cal trial sug­gest that elotuzumab, in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) and low-dose dexamethasone (Decadron), may have po­ten­tial in the treat­ment of mul­ti­ple myeloma. The findings were pre­sented at the American Society of He­ma­tol­ogy’s 51^st Annual Meeting at the beginning of last month.

Dr. Ravi Vij from the Uni­ver­sity of Washington in St. Louis, co-author of the study, remarked, “The trial showed very high rates of re­sponse when elotuzumab is given …