The 2009 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting showcased several presentations on Zolinza (vorinostat), a histone deacetylase inhibitor developed by Merck Pharmaceuticals that is currently investigated for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Zolinza alters the way a cancer cell’s DNA creates proteins, which is important in cancer treatment because such a drug can slow down cell proliferation, minimize mutations in DNA and control cell death.

Zolinza With Revlimid And Dexamethasone

Preliminary data from an ongoing Phase 1 study …

Results from recent Phase 1/2 clinical trials show that a perifosine, Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) combination treatment is safe and effective for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Perifosine is an alkyl-phosphocholine compound that controls cell division, cell growth and cell death, and is currently investigated for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Researchers presented their findings on December 5 at the American Society of Hematology’s 51^st Annual Meeting.

“Great meeting—lots of exciting new developments for multiple …

A drug combination including Revlimid (lenalidomide) as both an induction and maintenance therapy increases progression-free survival in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients over the age of 65 years, new Phase 3 research suggests. Researchers presented the preliminary results of the MM-015 clinical trial on December 7 at the 51st annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in New Orleans.

Currently, Revlimid is only approved in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron) to treat relapsed multiple myeloma patients, according …

During this year’s meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), there were several presentations about tanespimycin, a new drug currently being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Kosan Biosciences. Tanespimycin inhibits Hsp90, which acts as a molecular chaperone for proteins critical to the growth, survival, and drug resistance of cancerous cells.  

Safety And Activity Profile Of Tanespimycin And Velcade From Phase 1/2 Study

One of the ASH presentations showed that the combination treatment of tanespimycin and Velcade (bortezomib) effectively …

Researchers from Canada have found that long exposure to novel agents as well as achievement of higher response rates contribute to long-term survival in multiple myeloma patients.  They presented their findings at the American Society of Hematology Meeting (ASH) on December 6.

The term “long-term survivor” refers to a person who is alive for ten or more years following diagnosis of myeloma. Long-term survival is still unusual in multiple myeloma. Less than 10 percent of patients fall into the category …

In a recent Phase 3 trial, a Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) combination resulted in the longest progression-free survival in multiple myeloma patients, including those at high risk. The study will be presented at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in New Orleans on Monday, December 7, 2009.

The trial compared the Velcade-dexamethasone combination (VD) with a vincristine, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and dexamethasone combination (VAD). As induction therapies, VD and VAD reduce the number of cancer …

Carfilzomib, which is a proteasome inhibitor under devel­op­ment as a treat­ment for multiple myeloma, has recently been shown to be a safe and effective treat­ment for myeloma patients with kidney failure, chromosomal ab­nor­mal­i­ties, or periph­eral neu­rop­athy. These results will be presented at the 51st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans December 5 through 8.

Additionally, ASH presenters will examine the effects of car­filz­o­mib in patients who have pre­vi­ously been treated with Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib) …