Articles tagged with: Bortezomib
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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 13th International Myeloma Workshop – The 13th 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.
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Subcutaneous Velcade Injections Show Similar Efficacy But Fewer Side Effects Than IV Injections For Myeloma Patients – Results of a recent French study show that subcutaneous injections of Velcade (bortezomib) produce similar efficacy but fewer side effects for myeloma patients compared to IV injections. Dr. Philippe Moreau, the study’s lead investigator, first presented the results at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting last December. The study authors compared the responses of 148 patients who received subcutaneous Velcade injections with 74 patients who received IV injections. They found that after receiving eight cycles of treatment, patients in both groups had similar response rates, median time to progression, and overall survival, but the frequency and severity of side effects were significantly lower in the patients who received subcutaneous injections. For a more detailed summary of the results, please see the Beacon’s coverage of Dr. Moreau’s presentation at ASH or the study in Lancet Oncology (abstract).
XTL Biopharmaceuticals Seeks FDA Orphan Drug Status Of Its Red Blood Cell Stimulator For Myeloma – The Israeli biopharmaceutical company XTL Biopharmaceuticals has requested that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grant orphan status to its red blood cell-stimulating agent erythropoietin for multiple myeloma. The compound is currently undergoing a Phase 2 clinical trial. Orphan status applies to drugs that treat rare diseases affecting under 200,000 Americans per year. It would grant incentives to XTL Biopharmaceuticals for developing erythropoietin, including shortened approval procedures, tax breaks on research and development costs, and financial assistance. For more information, please see the XTL Biopharmaceuticals press release.
Low Angiopoietin-1 To Angiopoietin-2 Ratio May Be Associated With Shorter Survival In Myeloma Patients – Results of a recent study involving 174 newly diagnosed myeloma patients show that a low angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio may be associated with a poorer prognosis for myeloma patients, including shorter survival and a higher frequency of kidney problems and extensive bone disease. Angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 belong to a category of proteins involved in the formation and development of new blood vessels. The study authors found that patients with an angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio equal to or below the median ratio had a median survival of 26.3 months compared to 53 months for other patients. The study authors also observed a decreased angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio mostly in patients who previously received therapy with novel agents. For more information, please see the article in the International Journal of Cancer (abstract).
MMRF Founder And CEO Kathy Giusti Named In List Of Top 100 Most Influential People In The World – Kathy Giusti, founder and CEO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the May 2 issue of TIME Magazine. Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996 at the age of 37. After receiving high-dose chemotherapy as well as a stem cell transplant in 2006, Giusti has been in remission to the present day. Giusti founded the MMRF in 1998. Since then, the organization has raised over $165 million for myeloma research. In 2004, she founded the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium to focus on conducting Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials of myeloma drugs. In addition, Giusti has served on the Cancer Leadership Council and the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine, and currently serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board. For more information, please see the MMRF press release.
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High-dose melphalan continues to be the gold standard regimen for multiple myeloma patients prior to autologous stem cell therapy, according to a recent review of research investigating alternative preparative treatments before stem cell transplantation.
The authors of the review pointed out, however, that current research on variations of this regimen may provide improved transplantation response rates for myeloma patients in the future.
High-dose chemotherapy prior to stem cell transplantation, often called a preparative or conditioning regimen, is administered with the intention of eliminating cancerous cells from the patient’s bone marrow. High-dose chemotherapy …
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Results of a recent French study show that multiple myeloma patients with the chromosomal abnormality t(4;14) have a high response rate after stem cell transplantation, but continue to have poor overall survival and short remission times.
Compared to conventional chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation helped the patients with t(4;14) achieve higher-quality responses. However, most patients continued to experience quick and aggressive relapses after stem cell transplantation.
The study authors indicated the need for investigation into consolidation and maintenance strategies that would slow down the rapidity and severity of relapses after remission.
Approximately 15 …
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Results of a recently published study show that a steroid-free regimen of Velcade and thalidomide is effective in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.
This finding is particularly significant for patients who are unable to tolerate treatment with steroids due to their side effects, according to the study’s lead author Dr. Ivan Borello from the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore,
“The purpose of this study was to develop a therapy that could be used for patients in whom steroids for one reason or another were contraindicated. Those would include …
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Results of a recent Canadian study show that the use of novel agents, particularly Velcade and Revlimid, as salvage therapy after stem cell transplantation improves overall survival and post-relapse survival of multiple myeloma patients, including high-risk patients who relapsed early following transplantation.
Although multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease, the introduction of novel agents, such as thalidomide (Thalomid), Velcade (bortezomib), and Revlimid (lenalidomide) has lead to significant improvements in disease outcomes.
In their analysis, the Canadian researchers sought to determine the effect of these novel agents on the outcomes …
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According to the results of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, Torisel in combination with Velcade was well tolerated and effective for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
Dr. Irene Ghobrial of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute presented the results at the 2010 annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference held in Orlando last month.
Dr. Ghobrial said the trial results were promising in heavily pretreated myeloma patients and that the combination of Torisel (temsirolimus) and Velcade (bortezomib) warrants further evaluation.
Torisel is marketed by Pfizer and is currently approved for the …
