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Opinion: Individualizing The Dosing Of Multiple Myeloma Treatment – In the latest article published in the opinion section of The Beacon, Dr. Gary Blau, a multiple myeloma patient and visiting professor at Purdue University, wrote about the need to individualize doses of multiple myeloma treatments based on how each patient’s body absorbs and disposes of the drug. To receive a copy of all opinion articles when they are published, send an email to .

Certain Velcade Batches Are Recalled Due To Particles – On Thursday, Johnson & Johnson and Takeda, the manufacturers of Velcade (bortezomib), recalled certain batches of Velcade in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Malaysia. The recalled vials may contain particles that become visible after the powder form of the drug is dissolved into a solution for injection. The particles could cause injection site reactions, inflammation, or blood clots. There have not yet been any reports of negative side effects caused by the particles. The recall is a voluntary measure and affects vials distributed between January and July. The particles were a result of the manufacturing process, which the manufacturers report has since been improved. For more information and a list of lots recalled from the U.S., see the Millennium website. A list of the lots recalled from Europe can be found on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency website.

Geron Corporation To Begin Phase 2 Study Of Imetelstat For Myeloma – A Phase 2 study of Imetelstat (GRN163L) will soon be recruiting participants. The purpose of the study is to determine the efficacy of Imetelstat in previously treated multiple myeloma patients. Imetelstat inhibits an enzyme called telomerase, which is crucial to the survival of many cancer cells, thereby causing cancer cells to die. Imetelstat is being developed by Geron Corporation. For more information, see the Geron website and the clinical trial description.

Cetrotide Shows Promise In Multiple Myeloma – Preclinical results showed that Cetrotide (cetrorelix acetate) inhibits growth and kills multiple myeloma cells, including those resistant to Velcade (bortezomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide), or Trisenox (arsenic trioxide). Cetrotide also inhibited growth of myeloma cells in mice, and no side effects were observed. Cetrotide suppresses the production of several reproductive hormones. It is marketed by Merck Serono and is approved to control ovulation in women. It is also being studied extensively in breast cancer and prostate cancer. For more information, see the study in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.