Millennium And Takeda Apply For FDA Approval Of Subcutaneous Velcade – Millennium and Takeda, the companies that market Velcade, have submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of Velcade (bortezomib) to be administered subcutaneously (injected into the fat just below the skin).  Currently, Velcade is approved to be administered intravenously.  Recent results have shown that subcutaneous Velcade is as effective as IV Velcade, but subcutaneous administration reduces the frequency and seriousness of side effects.  In particular, the rate of peripheral neuropathy (pain and tingling in the extremities) dropped from 16 percent to 6 percent.  Additionally, many patients may consider subcutaneous injections more convenient because they can be administered from home.  For more information, see the Millennium press release or the Beacon’s coverage of the results comparing the efficacy and side effects of the two routes of administration.

Highlights From The 13^th International Myeloma Workshop – The 13^th International Myeloma Workshop will be held in Paris tomorrow through Friday.  Staff from The Myeloma Beacon will be attending and reporting live from the meeting.  The Beacon’s coverage will include brief “as it happens” summaries of presentations to be posted to the Beacon forums as well as daily update articles that summarize the day’s events and key presentations.  Discussion threads have been created in the forums for each day of the meeting (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4).  All Beacon readers are welcome to participate in the discussions.  The Beacon’s coverage of the Workshop is made possible in part by financial support from the Tackle Cancer Foundation.

After the conclusion of the Workshop, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will sponsor a teleconference for patients and caregivers in which myeloma specialists will present highlights from the meeting.  Dr. Thierry Facon from the University of Lille in France as well as Dr. Paul Richardson from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will present the latest advances in myeloma treatment.  Their presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.  The call will take place on May 6 from noon till 1 p.m. Eastern time.  For more information or to register, see the MMRF event website.

Multiple Myeloma Education Programs – Two educational programs for multiple myeloma patients will be held on May 14.  Dr. Jeff Wolf will speak at the event held in San Jose, CA, and Dr. Ronjay Rakkit will speak at the event in Houston.  The physicians will also answer patients’ questions.  In addition, a multiple myeloma patient will speak at each program.  Attendees can also connect with others at the event who have been affected by myeloma. Both events are sponsored by Millennium. For more information, see the Beacon event descriptions (San Jose, Houston).  To register, call 1-866-508-6181.