The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it approved Amgen’s Xgeva to help prevent fractures and to slow bone disease in patients with solid tumors that have spread to and caused damage to bone. Xgeva was not approved, however, for multiple myeloma patients with bone damage.

Xgeva is the new brand name given to denosumab when used for the treatment of cancer-related bone disease. Denosumab at lower doses is marketed under the brand name Prolia for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and a high risk of bone fractures. …

In addition to Velcade’s anti-myeloma effects, Velcade may also enhance bone formation, according to a Korean study of two multiple myeloma patients.

Based on the findings, the study investigators suggested that Velcade (bortezomib) treatment may be beneficial in patients with destructive bone disease.

However, in correspondence with the Myeloma Beacon, Dr. Chang-Ki Min, lead author of the study noted, “I believe that the incidental findings require additional studies. For example, clinical results such as response to Velcade or skeletal-related events [in this patient population] should be investigated.”

Dr. Kristy Weber, professor …

Early-stage myeloma, single bone lesions, a negative bone marrow biopsy, and normal M-protein levels in the serum are associated with improved survival in multiple myeloma patients following surgery for skeletal complications, according to a recent German study.

Multiple myeloma is commonly associated with a number of skeletal complications, including fractures, spinal cord compression, elevated calcium levels in the blood, and severe bone pain.

These complications arise as a result of skeletal weakening due to bone lesions. Bone lesions are the result of an under activity or absence of cells responsible for bone …

A 30 mg monthly dose of the bisphosphonate Aredia prevents bone disease as effectively as a 90 mg dose in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, according to a recent Nordic study. The study also found that the lower dose resulted in fewer side effects than the higher dose.

Based on their findings, the researchers recommended 30 mg Aredia be administered to multiple myeloma patients for the prevention of bone disease.

“I believe that our study can lead to a reduction in the cost of treatment and maybe more importantly a reduction in the …

The International Myeloma Working Group, comprised of many of the world’s top myeloma experts, recently published a report that evaluated the use of key proteins to assess the severity of multiple myeloma-related bone disease. The group determined that some of these proteins are useful in monitoring bone metabolism and skeletal complications during myeloma treatments.

The majority of multiple myeloma patients suffer from bone disease. Approximately 20 percent of patients experience a fracture at the time of their myeloma diagnosis, and 60 percent of patients experience a fracture as their myeloma progresses. These …

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that long-term use of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis places patients at a possible risk for atypical thigh bone fractures. The FDA plans to add this warning to its Medication Guide and to the prescribing information for bisphosphonates approved for the treatment of osteoporosis. The warning will not apply to bisphosphonates typically used in the treatment of multiple myeloma or other cancers.

According to Dr. Craig Hofmeister of the Ohio State University Medical Center, myeloma patients taking bisphosphonates for a long time do not need to be concerned about …

ArthroCare Corp. has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its Parallax Contour Vertebral Augmentation Device. The Contour device can now be used during minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat spinal fractures caused by multiple myeloma bone lesions.

Weakening of the vertebrae, the bones that make up the spine, can result in vertebral compression fractures. Though the most common cause of vertebral compression fractures is osteoporosis, they may also be caused by multiple myeloma tumors.

Patients with vertebral compression fractures often suffer from debilitating pain and may experience …