Results of a recent Phase 2 study indicate that a steroid-free regimen of Velcade, Doxil, and thalidomide is effective in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.

“The most novel aspect [of the study] is that high response rates and effective disease control can be achieved without the use of [the corticosteroid] dexamethasone,” said Dr. Asher Chanan-Khan, one of the study’s investigators and a researcher at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.

“The development of such a regimen is critical as it can be used both in newly diagnosed or relapsed …

Results of a recent Italian study show that a four-drug combination regimen of Velcade, Doxil, dexamethasone, and thalidomide may be more effective than two- or three-drug combinations for multiple myeloma patients who have relapsed or are resistant to prior treatment.

“This study clearly reinforced the idea that aggressive therapy, even in the second-line relapse setting, is of great value,” said Dr. Mario Curti, a hematologist at Los Alamitos Medical Center in Los Alamitos, California, who was not involved in the study. “It allows another treatment option to be considered in the relapse …