Articles tagged with: Bortezomib
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Results of a recent Spanish study suggest that elderly multiple myeloma patients who receive Velcade plus thalidomide or Velcade plus prednisone as maintenance therapy achieve deeper responses following initial therapy with Velcade-based treatment regimens.
In addition, elderly myeloma patients who receive Velcade plus thalidomide as maintenance therapy may achieve better treatment outcomes and longer survival rates than patients who receive Velcade plus prednisone as maintenance therapy.
“In our trial, VT [Velcade plus thalidomide] was slightly superior to VP [Velcade plus prednisone] in response rate and outcome, but the differences didn't reach statistical …
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ALT-801 Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Is Enrolling Relapsed Or Refractory Myeloma Patients - The Florida-based biopharmaceutical company Altor Bioscience has started a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its investigational drug ALT-801. The trial is being conducted at the University of Iowa and is recruiting myeloma patients who have had at least two previous treatment regimens. ALT-801 is a protein that triggers immune cells to attack cancer cells. The drug also is being explored as a potential treatment for melanoma and bladder cancer. For more information, see the clinical trial description and information about ALT-801 at the Altor website.
Study Supports Use Of Once-Weekly Velcade – Results from a recent retrospective Chinese study support previous findings that once-weekly Velcade (bortezomib) is similar to twice-weekly Velcade in terms of efficacy and safety. Similar results were first found in 2010 during a study of Velcade in combination with melphalan (Alkeran), prednisone, and thalidomide (Thalomid). The results from that study showed that once-weekly Velcade was as effective as twice-weekly Velcade and that patients who received Velcade once a week experienced fewer side effects, especially peripheral neuropathy (pain, tingling, or loss of sensation in the extremities), a common side effect of Velcade (see related Beacon news). The current study found that overall response rates were similar for patients treated with once-weekly (77 percent) or twice-weekly Velcade (75 percent) in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron). In addition, the median progression-free survival was similar in both groups (8 months versus 10 months, respectively). Side effects were more common among patients treated twice a week; however, the differences were not statistically significant. In particular, 31 percent of patients treated with once-weekly Velcade developed neuropathy as compared to 50 percent of patients treated with twice-weekly Velcade. For more information, please see the study in the Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (abstract).
Age And Platelet Count May Predict Ability To Collect Enough Stem Cells For Transplant – Findings from a recent study show that age and platelet count can be used to predict whether a multiple myeloma patient is likely to successfully harvest enough stem cells for a transplant. Patients older than 58 years or who had a baseline platelet count less than 161,000 cells/mm3 failed to collect enough stem cells using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mobilize the stem cells into the blood for collection. The study investigators conclude that patients with these characteristics should not receive mobilization with G-CSF alone and that alternative methods of mobilization should be tested. For more information, please see the study in Transfusion and Apheresis Science (abstract).
Treatment-Free Intervals Improve Quality Of Life For Multiple Myeloma Patients – A recent survey of multiple myeloma patients in the United Kingdom shows that patients in their first treatment-free interval and those experiencing a longer treatment-free interval enjoy better quality of life as compared to patients in other phases of treatment. The investigators believe these results may help doctors and patients make treatment decisions, especially when considering extended treatment plans. For more information, please refer to the study in Supportive Care in Cancer (abstract).
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Phase 1 Trial Of All-Oral Ricolinostat-Revlimid-Dexamethasone Combo Begins – Acetylon Pharmaceuticals announced last week the initiation of a Phase 1b clinical trial of ricolinostat (ACY-1215) in combination with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Ricolinostat is an oral treatment that belongs to a family of anti-cancer drugs called HDAC inhibitors. Other HDAC inhibitors under investigation for multiple myeloma include Zolinza (vorinostat) and panobinostat. Acetylon believes that ricolinostat could produce fewer side effects than other non-specific HDAC inhibitors, as it selectively inhibits the enzyme HDAC6. The primary aim of the trial is to establish an optimal dose of ricolinostat over a 28-day treatment cycle and to assess the potential anti-myeloma activity of the three-drug combination. In addition, Acetylon is enrolling patients for a Phase 1/2 trial of ricolinostat in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma. For more information on both trials, please see the Acetylon press release and the U.S. clinical trial registry.
Lucatumumab Shows Modest Activity As Single Agent In Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma – Results from a recent Phase 1 study indicate that lucatumumab, an antibody developed by Novartis, is well tolerated in relapsed or refractory myeloma patients; however, the compound only showed modest activity in the study participants. Specifically, 4 percent of patients maintained a partial response for a period of eight months or longer, and 43 percent maintained stable disease. The most common severe side effects included anemia (7 percent), chills (7 percent), and fever (7 percent). Side effects severe enough to limit drug dosage were seen in about 10 percent of patients. Based on these results, the researchers recommend that lucatumumab be tested in combination with other anti-myeloma drugs. For more information, please see the study in the British Journal of Hematology (abstract).
Viracept-Velcade Combo Kills Myeloma Cells Better Than Either Drug Alone – Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have found that a combination of the anti-HIV drug Viracept (nelfinavir) and Velcade kills myeloma cells better than either drug alone in a preclinical study. Viracept belongs to a class of drugs called protease inhibitors and was approved by the FDA to treat HIV in 1997. Both Viracept and Velcade limit a cell’s ability to chop up and discard unwanted proteins. Simultaneous treatment with both drugs resulted in an accumulation of such unwanted proteins in the cell, eventually resulting in cell death. For more information, please refer to the study in Cell Death and Disease.
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The results of a recent Greek study indicate that kidney impairment is highly reversible in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with regimens containing Velcade, thalidomide, and Revlimid.
Additionally, the Greek researchers found that Velcade (bortezomib)-based treatments were associated with a shorter time to response and higher rates of restoration of kidney function than thalidomide (Thalomid)- and Revlimid (lenalidomide)-based regimens.
Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that Velcade be used as initial therapy for myeloma patients with kidney impairment.
Dr. Baldeep Wirk of the University of Florida, who …
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Kyprolis Is Now Available In The United States – The newly approved myeloma treatment Kyprolis (carfilzomib) is available on the U.S. market starting today. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Kyprolis on July 20 for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who have received at least two prior therapies (see related Beacon news). Physicians can now prescribe Kyprolis to myeloma patients throughout the U.S. To learn more about the recent FDA approval of Kyprolis and the drug's launch, please see The Beacon’s detailed questions and answers article published last week.
Exelixis Starts Clinical Trial Of Cabozantinib In Patients With Relapsed Or Refractory Myeloma – Exelixis, a biopharmaceutical company based in South San Francisco, announced last week the start of a Phase 1 trial of cabozantinib (XL184) in multiple myeloma. Cabozantinib is a compound that inhibits the activity of two key enzymes, at least one of which is known to promote the growth of myeloma cells. The study will investigate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary activity of cabozantinib in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma with bone disease. Cabozantinib is also being investigated as treatment for several other types of cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer. For more information, please see the Exelixis press release and the clinical trial description.
KW-2478 Plus Velcade Shows Potent Anti-Myeloma Activity In Preclinical Study - Results from a recent preclinical study indicate that a combination of the investigational drug KW-2478 with Velcade (bortezomib) has potent anti-myeloma activity. KW-2478 belongs to a class of anti-myeloma drugs called Hsp90 inhibitors and is being developed by Japanese drug manufacturer Kyowa Hakko Kirin. Other Hsp90 inhibitors which have been investigated as potential myeloma treatments include ganetespib and tanespimycin. In the recent study involving KW-2478, researchers found that the drug increased the ability of Velcade to kill myeloma cells. In mice, the combination also reduced bone lesions and monoclonal protein levels (M-spike) more effectively than either drug alone. According to the study investigators, these results strongly suggest that the combination could be an effective treatment for multiple myeloma patients. For more information, please refer to the study in the Blood Cancer Journal (abstract).
Purifying Plasma Cells From Bone Marrow Samples May Facilitate Detection of Chromosomal Abnormalities – Findings from a recent Dutch study suggest that chromosomal abnormalities in cancerous plasma cells may be easier to detect in purified plasma cell samples from bone marrow samples, as compared to unpurified (whole) marrow samples from myeloma patients. Previous studies have shown that certain chromosomal abnormalities in cancerous plasma cells can predict poorer myeloma prognosis. In this study, researchers could identify plasma cell chromosomal abnormalities in 96 percent of purified samples from bone marrow samples, as compared to 61 percent in unpurified samples. They argued that the low frequency of plasma cells in unpurified bone marrow samples hindered the detection of abnormalities. The researchers found that genetic material isolated from purified plasma cells could also be analyzed by molecular techniques to yield additional information about each patient's myeloma. For more information, please see the study in Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer (abstract).
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Dr. Michel Attal from the Purpan Hospital in Toulouse, France, presented a review of current maintenance therapies for multiple myeloma during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting last month.
The focus of Dr. Attal’s presentation was on whether there is evidence to support the use of the novel anti-myeloma agents thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and Velcade (bortezomib) as maintenance therapy after initial therapy and stem cell transplantation.
Maintenance therapy refers to a prolonged, and often low-dose, form of treatment given to myeloma patients after their initial …
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The results of a recent Phase 3 study conducted throughout Europe show that treatment with a combination of Velcade, thalidomide, and dexamethasone leads to superior clinical benefits compared to treatment with thalidomide and dexamethasone alone in multiple myeloma patients who have relapsed or progressed after a stem cell transplant.
Specifically, more patients responded to the three-drug regimen. In addition, the group of patients treated with the three-drug combination responded longer and did not progress as quickly as those treated with the two-drug combination. However, the three-drug combination led to a higher rate …