In a recent study published in the journal Blood, researchers reviewed pre­vi­ously reported research and found a general correlation between “complete response” to ther­apy and survival for multiple myeloma patients.

Complete response, which is defined as a normal bone marrow evaluation and a negative immuno­fix­a­tion (a test to detect ab­nor­mal anti­bodies in the blood or urine), has been correlated to patient out­come for many blood cancers. However, conventional chemotherapy has rarely produced com­plete responses in myeloma patients.

The sig­nif­i­cance of …

Patients with multiple myeloma and other blood cancers have a high risk of venous thromboembolism, or blood clotting, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The rate of this complication is influenced by multiple factors, including the type of disease, the type of chemotherapy, and the use of catheters.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein, limiting the blood flow in the affected vein. Additionally, a piece …

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 …

Researchers at St George’s, University of London have developed a new directory that could lead to quicker and more targeted treatment for multiple myeloma and other cancer patients.

The directory identifies 40,000 genes that can cause cancer and lists the effects on each gene by three drugs used in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

The three drugs included in the directory are thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and Actimid (pomalidomide, CC-4047). Both thalidomide and Revlimid are approved for …

Preliminary results from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial indicate that carfilzomib (Kyprolis), a new proteasome inhibitor, has significant thera­peutic results in patients with re­lapsed myeloma. The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) reported the results at the Joint ECCO 15-34th ESMO Multidisciplinary Congress, which was held in Berlin from September 20 to 24.

Carfilzomib selectively induces cell death in cancer cells by blocking the activity of proteasomes, which are enzymes that break down proteins. Carfilzomib is similar to Velcade …

The findings of a recent study, which will appear in Cancer Cell this month, provide a clue to the mystery of multiple myeloma cancer cells’ resistance to powerful drugs. A specific type of immune system cell is literally “switching teams” and protecting the cancer cells instead of destroying them.

The study’s authors note that this is the first time that any type of immune system cell has been shown to protect cancer cells.

“The study has identified a defect in …

Researchers from the University of Athens and Penn State University have announced that in a study of newly diagnosed patients, elevated TIMP-1, a blood biomarker, correlated with more advanced multiple myeloma, poorer overall survival, and the presence of bone lesions.

TIMP-1 belongs to the family of “tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases,” a group of proteins that help regulate bone turnover – the removal of old bone tissue (resorption) and the addition of new bone tissue (ossification). Through multiple molecular pathways, excess …