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Aeterna Zentaris (NASDAQ:AEZS) announced today that the Canadian company is discontinuing its Phase 3 clinical trial of perifosine for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.

An independent Data Safety Monitoring Board recommended the trial be discontinued after interim results showed that perifosine (KRX-0401) plus Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) has not, and most likely will not, significantly extend progression-free survival com­pared to Velcade and dexamethasone alone.

The Board did not raise any safety concerns related to perifosine.

Aeterna Zentaris did not explicitly state in its announcement today …

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Aeterna Zentaris announced this morning that the company will be continuing development of perifosine as a potential treatment for multiple myeloma.

Speculation arose last month that an ongoing Phase 3 trial of perifosine in myeloma might be canceled due to disappointing results from a Phase 3 trial of perifosine in colorectal cancer.

Perifosine (KRX-0401) is an orally administered drug that belongs to a new class of anti-cancer drugs known as “Akt-inhibitors.” Akt is a protein believed to play an important role in the development and growth of cancer cells.

Dr. Paul Richardson, from …

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Aeterna Zentaris And Yakult Honsha Sign Licensing Agreement For Myeloma Drug Perifosine – Canadian drug developer Aeterna Zentaris signed a licensing agreement with the Japanese company Yakult Honsha last week for the development, commercialization, and marketing of the cancer drug perifosine in the Japanese market. Under the terms of the agreement, Aeterna Zentaris will receive an upfront payment of US $8.3 million, up to US $60.9 million in milestone payments, and royalty payments on sales in Japan. Perifosine is an oral anti-cancer treatment that is currently being investigated in two Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of myeloma and colorectal cancer in Europe and the United States. It works by interfering with the cell membrane in myeloma cells to promote cell death. For more information, please see the Aeterna Zentaris press release.

Disruption Of Src Enzyme Results In Increased Myeloma Cell Death – Pre-clinical results showed that inactivation of the Src enzyme in myeloma cell lines caused increased self-induced myeloma cell death. The Src enzyme is necessary for Chk1 inhibitors, molecules that bind to the Chk1 enzyme, to allow myeloma cells to divide by following a route called the EKR1/2 pathway. Disruption of Src prevented Chk1 inhibitors from activating this pathway, inhibiting myeloma cell division and increasing the anti-myeloma properties of Chk1 inhibitors. For more information, please see the study in the journal Blood (abstract). 

Multiple Myeloma Patient Program On March 22 And March 26 – Millennium Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Velcade (bortezomib), is hosting two free educational events for myeloma patients to ask questions for myeloma specialists and to connect with others who have been affected by myeloma. The programs will be held in Kansas City, MO, on March 22 and in Linthicum, MD, on March 26. Patients may register by calling 1-866-508-6181.

Living With Myeloma Conference On March 26 – The Arizona Myeloma Network is hosting a free regional conference on March 26 at the Scottsdale Marriott for myeloma patients, their families, and caregivers. Myeloma researchers, physicians, and healthcare professionals will present current information about myeloma. The conference aims to facilitate discussion of up-to-date myeloma research and to increase understanding about the disease for patients to make better treatment choices. For more information, please see the Arizona Myeloma Network website.

For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.

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Perifosine Receives “Orphan Medicinal Product Designation” In Europe For Myeloma – On March 1, Aeterna Zentaris announced that it received a positive opinion for orphan medicinal product designation for perifosine for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Perifosine is currently being studied in a Phase 3 trial for myeloma. Orphan medicinal product designation, similar to orphan drug status in the U.S., encourages development of drugs for rare medical conditions. The status gives the drug’s developer assistance with the application for the approval of the drug, waived application fees, and up to ten years of market exclusivity in Europe, if approved for treatment. Perifosine has already been granted orphan drug status in the U.S. For more information, please see the press release on the Æterna Zentaris Web site.

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics To Receive Patent For ICT-69 – On March 2, ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for cancer treatment, announced that it received a Notice of Allowance on its patent application for ICT-69, a monoclonal antibody that targets multiple myeloma and ovarian cancers. Generally, this notification means that a patent will be issued once the issue fee is paid. For more information, see the ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Web site.

Myeloma Awareness Month Teleconference Series – There are three more teleconferences in the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) teleconference series celebrating March as Myeloma Awareness Month. Patients, family members, caregivers, and health care professionals are welcome to join. The teleconferences provide up-to-date information regarding multiple myeloma and are held each Friday during March at 7 p.m. EST. Each teleconference will include an hour-long presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A session on education (March 12), research (March 19), and advocacy (March 26). Please see the IMF Web site for more information.

Living With Myeloma Conference – The Arizona Myeloma Network is hosting its fourth annual “Living With Myeloma” conference on March 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Scottsdale Conference Center. Physicians and researchers, including Dr. Robert Kyle, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, will be giving invited talks. Patients, family members, caregivers, physicians, researchers, and health care providers interested in myeloma are invited. The conference, including a continental breakfast and hot lunch, is free. Heath care professionals may receive 4.5 continuing medical education credits for attending. Space is limited for the conference, and those interested in attending are urged to register quickly. For registration and more information, visit the Arizona Myeloma Network Web Site.

For a more detailed listing of myeloma related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.