Articles tagged with: Dexamethasone

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[ by | Sep 5, 2012 12:33 pm | Comments Off ]
Initial Treatment With Velcade-Thalidomide-Dexamethasone Combo Improves Responses Before And After Stem Cell Transplantation

Results from a Spanish Phase 3 clinical trial suggest that initial treatment with a combination of Velcade, thalidomide, and dexamethasone may lead to better responses before and after stem cell transplantation, as compared to treatment with thalidomide and dexamethasone alone. In addition, treatment with the three-drug combination increases progression-free survival time.

The study investigators concluded that their findings support the use of a combination of Velcade (bortezomib), thalidomide (Thalomid), and dexamethasone (Decadron), often referred to as VTD, as initial treatment in newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are eligible for …

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[ by | Aug 15, 2012 12:25 pm | Comments Off ]

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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[ by and | Aug 10, 2012 12:09 pm | 10 Comments ]
Study Confirms Survival Benefit Of Revlimid-Dexamethasone Combo In Elderly Relapsed / Refractory Myeloma Patients

Results from a recent retrospective study con­firm that treat­ment with a com­bi­na­tion of Revlimid and dexa­meth­a­sone slows disease pro­gres­sion and im­proves survival in elderly patients with re­lapsed or refractory myeloma.

However, findings from the study also indicate that certain side effects, such as anemia and blood clots, occurred more frequently in elderly patients.

Novel agents such as Revlimid (lena­lido­mide), thalidomide (Thalomid), and Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib) are commonly used to treat re­lapsed and refractory myeloma.

A pre­vi­ous study found that Revlimid in com­bi­na­tion with dexamethasone (Decadron) is effective in patients …

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[ by | Jul 23, 2012 1:35 pm | 4 Comments ]
Velcade-Thalidomide-Dexamethasone Superior To Thalidomide-Dexamethasone In Myeloma Patients Relapsing After Transplant

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 …

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[ by | Jul 4, 2012 3:19 pm | Comments Off ]

Phase 3 Trial To Compare Carfilzomib and Velcade For Relapsed Multiple Myeloma – On Monday, Onyx Pharmaceuticals announced the start of a Phase 3 trial comparing the safety and efficacy of its investigational drug carfilzomib (Kyprolis) to that of Velcade (bor­tez­o­mib). In particular, the trial will in­ves­ti­gate the efficacy and safety of car­filz­o­mib in com­bi­na­tion with dexamethasone (Decadron) versus Velcade plus dexa­meth­a­sone in patients who have received one to three prior lines of ther­apy. Carfilzomib is in the same class of drugs as Velcade, known as proteasome inhibitors. It is cur­rently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for potential approval as a new treat­ment for myeloma (see related Beacon news). For more in­­for­ma­tion, please see the Onyx Pharmaceuticals press release and the clinical trial description.

Phase 3 Trial Of MLN9708 Begins In Patients With Relapsed Or Refractory Myeloma – Millennium Pharmaceuticals, the com­pany that developed Velcade and markets the drug in the United States, announced last week the initiation of an inter­na­tional Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational com­­pound MLN9708 (ixazomib) in patients with re­lapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The study will in­ves­ti­gate the efficacy and safety of MLN9708 in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) and dexa­meth­a­sone. Like car­filz­o­mib and Velcade, MLN9708 is a proteasome inhibitor; however, it is admin­istered orally. In recent Phase 1/2 clinical trials, MLN9708 showed promising results as a single agent as well as in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid and dexa­meth­a­sone in both newly diagnosed and re­lapsed/refractory myeloma patients (see related Beacon news). For more in­­for­ma­tion, please see the Millennium press release and the clinical trial description.

Researchers Identify Potential Reason For Drug Resistance In Some High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Patients – Researchers from the United States and Singapore have found that a small molecule of RNA called ACA11 may be the reason for drug resistance in multiple myeloma patients with the chromosomal ab­nor­mal­ity t(4;14). Specifically, the researchers found that ACA11 was present in all the cancer cells of patients with t(4;14). As the amount of ACA11 increased, levels of oxidative stress that damage cells went down, protecting cancer cells from damage. As a result, the cancer cells were more resistant to chemotherapy. Patients with t(4;14), which is a translocation of a region of chromosome 4 to chromosome 14, are considered high-risk patients (see related Beacon news). For more in­­for­ma­tion, please see the study in The Journal of Clinical Investigation and the Washington University in St. Louis press release.

Japanese Phase 1 Trial To Study Perifosine For Refractory Myeloma – The Canadian bio­tech com­pany Aeterna Zentaris announced last week that its partner in Japan, Yakult Honsha, has begun a Phase 1 clinical trial of perifosine (KRX-0401) in multiple myeloma patients who are resistant to Velcade treat­ment. The study will evaluate the safety of  perifosine in com­bi­na­tion with Velcade and dexa­meth­a­sone in 18 patients. Perifosine is an orally admin­istered drug that belongs to a new class of anti-cancer drugs called “Akt inhibitors.” In the United States, perifosine in com­bi­na­tion with Velcade and dexa­meth­a­sone is in Phase 3 trials for multiple myeloma (see related Beacon news). For more in­­for­ma­tion, please see the Aeterna Zentaris press release.

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[ by | Jul 3, 2012 12:58 pm | 7 Comments ]
Sean’s Burgundy Thread: Dex Man Walking

For one day each week, my children have a special nickname for me. It’s Tyrannosaurus Dex!

I suppose that it is fitting that a wise-guy has wise-guy children!  Here’s how I earned this tongue-in-cheek moniker.

Like many multiple myeloma patients, I have a love / hate relationship with the potent corticosteroid, dexamethasone (Decadron), also called dex for short. I love that dex offers positive health benefits to many of us facing a diagnosis of myeloma. Conversely, I hate that dex is also known to cause a wide array of side effects …

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[ by and | Jun 15, 2012 9:48 am | Comments Off ]
MLN9708 Shows Encouraging Results For The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma (ASCO 2012)

Interim results from three clinical trials suggest that MLN9708, as a single agent or in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid and dexa­meth­a­sone, may be an effective and well tolerated treat­ment for both pre­vi­ously untreated multiple myeloma patients and patients with re­lapsed or refractory disease.

Findings from the three trials were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago earlier this month.

According to Dr. Irene Ghobrial from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who presented a review of some of the MLN9708 results at ASCO, the response rates …

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