Articles tagged with: BT-062

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[ by | Dec 10, 2010 3:53 pm | Comments Off ]

Myeloma Expert Dr. Philip McCarthy To Field Questions At The Beacon Forums Next Week – During the week of December 13 through 17, multiple myeloma patients will have the opportunity to get expert answers to their myeloma-related questions: Myeloma expert Dr. Philip McCarthy from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, will answer medical questions posted to the Beacon’s multiple myeloma forums throughout the week. Readers are encouraged to start posting their questions in the forums.

BT-062 Is Safe In Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (ASH 2010) – The investigational drug BT-062, which is being developed by the German company Biotest AG, is safe in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients, according to the Phase 1 trial results presented at the 2010 Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Researchers tested seven different dose levels (10 mg/m² to 200 mg/m²). Researchers observed severe skin- and mucous membrane-related side effects at the highest dose level. They therefore determined the maximum tolerated dose to be 160 mg/m². A sufficient amount of anti-myeloma activity was observed for this drug to continue to Phase 1/2 testing, which puts more emphasis on the efficacy of the drug. For more information, please see abstract 3060 on the ASH annual meeting website.

ARRY-520 Shows Single-Agent Activity in Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma (ASH 2010) – Phase 1 clinical trial results presented at ASH earlier this week showed that the experimental drug ARRY-520 (filanesib) from Array BioPharma has anti-myeloma effects as a single agent. Four of 30 relapsed/refractory myeloma patients enrolled in the study responded to treatment. ARRY-520 was administered intravenously at different doses (1 mg/m2 to 2.25 mg/m2) on days 1 and 2 of a 14-day cycle with or without growth factors.  The maximum tolerated dose was 1.25 mg/m2 ARRY-520, but the dose could be increased with the addition of growth factors. The most commonly reported side effect was low white blood cell counts. Inflammation of the digestive tract mucus membrane was observed at higher dose levels.  The maximum tolerated dose in combination with growth factors, which is still being investigated, will be used in the Phase 2 trials that Array BioPharma plans to initiate soon. For more information, please see abstract 1959 on the ASH meeting website and the Array BioPharma press release.

Panobinostat Combination Shows Potential For Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (ASH 2010) – According to Phase 1 trial results presented at ASH, the oral experimental cancer drug panobinostat (Farydak, LBH589) from Novartis showed promising results in combination with melphalan (Alkeran), prednisone, and thalidomide (Thalomid). Of the 24 relapsed/refractory myeloma patients enrolled in the study, 50 percent responded to the treatment, with 17 percent achieving a very good partial response. However, the initial dose of 15 mg of panobinostat was associated with severe side effects (low white blood cell counts in 69 percent of patients and low platelet counts in 46 percent).  Therefore, researchers decided to lower the dose to 10 mg. The rate of low platelet counts decreased, but the rate of low white blood cell counts remained high. The researchers concluded that different dosing schedules need to be investigated to further decrease the rate of blood-related side effects. For more information, please see abstract 3019 on the ASH meeting website.

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[ by and | Dec 6, 2010 2:31 pm | Comments Off ]
ASH 2010 Multiple Myeloma Update - Day Two

Yesterday was the second full day of the 2010 American Society of Hematology annual meeting in Orlando. It was a particularly busy day in terms of material related to multiple myeloma, with numerous oral presentations during the day and an extensive poster session in the early evening.

One of the first presentations of the day was actually a press conference held to review the results of a Phase 3 study comparing the efficacy and safety of two different stem cell transplant regimens for multiple myeloma (abstract).

In one arm of this …

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Resources, Treatments Under Development»

[ by | Oct 4, 2010 10:23 pm | Comments Off ]
Brand Name:
Generic Name:
Code Name: BT-062
Company: Biotest
FDA Clinical Phase: 1/2

Description:

BT-062 (news articles) is a toxic drug bound to an antibody that helps deliver the treatment to myeloma and other cancer cells. When the compound enters a cancer cell, it releases the toxic drug that …

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[ by | Sep 27, 2010 11:43 am | Comments Off ]

Amgen Recalls Anemia Drugs Epogen And Procrit – On Friday, Amgen recalled certain lots of Epogen and Procrit (epoetin alfa), which are used to treat anemia (low red blood cell counts). Procrit is manufactured by Amgen but sold by Johnson & Johnson. The recalled lots may contain barely visible glass flakes that could cause blood clots, swelling of veins, and immune reactions. There have not yet been any reports of negative side effects directly tied to the glass flakes, which result over time from an interaction between the drug and the glass container. To prevent this problem, Amgen will reduce the shelf life of Epogen from 36 months to 12 months for single-dose vials and 15 months for multi-dose vials. Additionally, the company will begin using glass vials that do not interact with the drug during the shelf life of the product. For more information or the specific lot numbers, please see the Amgen website.

Biotest Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 1/2 Trial Of BT-062 For Multiple Myeloma – Biotest Pharmaceuticals has started recruiting patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of BT-062. This initial trial will focus on determining BT-062’s safety, anti-tumor activity, and dosage limits. BT-062 is a toxic drug bound to an antibody that helps deliver the treatment to cancer cells. For more information, please see the clinical trial description and the Biotest website.

Cylene Initiates Phase 1 Trial of CX-4945 For Multiple Myeloma – Cylene Pharmaceuticals has started recruiting patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma for a Phase 1 clinical trial of CX-4945. The Phase 1 study is designed to test CX-4945’s safety, tolerability, and dosage limits. CX-4945 is an oral CK2 inhibitor, a class of drugs that causes cell death in cancerous cells. A separate Phase 1 trial will also be conducted to determine the use of CX-4945 for the treatment of solid tumors. For more information, please see the Cylene press release and the clinical trial description.

Minnesota Cancer Researchers Receive $26 Million To Study Stem Cell Therapies – Dr. Philip McGlave and Dr. Jeffrey Miller, researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center, will receive $26 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue their study of stem cell therapies used to treat blood and bone cancers, among other disorders. Dr. McGlave’s research will focus on improving stem cell transplants and cell-based treatments, while Dr. Miller will continue research on the immune system to reduce the rate of relapse of leukemia after stem cell transplantation. They will also collaborate with blood and bone marrow experts at cancer centers throughout the country. For more information, please see the University of Minnesota press release.

Signal Genetics And Array BioPharma Partner To Advance Personalized Medicine In Multiple Myeloma – Signal Genetics, a predictive genetic testing company focused on oncology, recently announced the company will work with Array BioPharma to identify patients for treatment using genetic markers. Signal Genetics’ genomic testing instrument, MyPRS, will be used to provide Array BioPharma with genetic information during clinical trials for its multiple myeloma drug candidate, ARRY-520 (filanesib). This collaboration may lead to the development of personalized treatment options for myeloma patients based on genetic markers. For more information, please see the Signal Genetics press release (pdf) and the Array BioPharma website.