Articles tagged with: Empliciti
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This year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which was held in Chicago, began on Friday and concluded on Tuesday.
Monday was the busiest day at the meeting with regard to myeloma research. It featured a session of oral presentations in the morning and a poster session in the afternoon.
This update summarizes the myeloma-related studies presented during the afternoon poster session, which was the final myeloma-related session of the meeting. An earlier article covered the findings from the oral presentations that were given in the morning.
Most of the key …
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In a recent review article published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, two myeloma experts from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Nikhil Munshi and Dr. Kenneth Anderson, review the latest strategies in the treatment of multiple myeloma.
In their article, the experts discuss newer therapies that appear to be promising in clinical and preclinical studies.
According to the physicians, combination therapies that specifically target a patient’s genetic form of the disease will be required for long-term disease control and ultimately a cure.
Some Historical Perspective
In their review article, Drs. Munshi and …
News»
The American Society of Clinical Oncology will hold its 49th annual meeting May 31 through June 4 in Chicago.
Similar to previous years, more than 25,000 clinical specialists from all over the world are expected to attend the five-day meeting to discuss the current research in cancer treatment and care. The theme for this year’s meeting is “Building Bridges to Conquer Cancer.”
During the meeting, there will be presentations and seminars about all areas of cancer, including many focused specifically on multiple myeloma. The ASCO website currently lists more than 60 myeloma-based presentations (included …
News, Opinion»
Within the past nine months, two new agents have been approved for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma.
In July 2012, a second generation proteasome inhibitor, Kyprolis (carfilzomib), was approved for patients with relapsed/refractory disease. In February of this year, Pomalyst (pomalidomide) was approved for use in similar patients.
These two agents, with dexamethasone (Decadron) or in combination with other drugs, should further broaden the armamentarium for the treatment of myeloma as we continue to strive to make myeloma a chronic disease.
Rather than dwell on …
NewsFlash »
FDA Puts Daratumumab On Fast Track For Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week granted fast track designation to the investigational drug daratumumab. The fast track designation accelerates the development and review process for drugs intended to treat serious or life-threatening illnesses. Daratumumab is being developed by the Danish biotechnology company Genmab together with Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary. It is a monoclonal antibody, like elotuzumab and siltuximab, that signals the immune system to kill myeloma cells. Results from a phase 1/2 clinical trial indicated that daratumumab is effective in heavily pretreated myeloma patients (see related Beacon news). For more information, please see the Genmab press release.
Mayo Clinic Researchers Update Guidelines For Treatment Of Newly Diagnosed Myeloma – Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have updated their guidelines for the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. The guidelines, called The Mayo Stratification of Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (mSMART), were first developed in 2007 and last updated in 2009. Based on research findings released since 2009, the researchers have added six major updates to the previous version of mSMART. One significant update was the addition of an intermediate-risk classification to the existing high-risk and standard-risk classifications. The researchers also note that there may be more benefit to delaying stem cell transplants in myeloma patients, due to improved induction therapies and stem cell collection procedures. The updated guidelines also recommend that maintenance therapy be considered, but not mandated, as a treatment option for patients who have undergone a stem cell transplant. For more information, please see the 2013 mSMART Guidelines.
Sensory Deficits Prior To Treatment May Predict Risk Of Peripheral Neuropathy In Myeloma Patients – Results from a recent study indicate that preexisting sensory deficits in multiple myeloma patients increase a patient’s risk of developing peripheral neuropathy (pain, tingling, and loss of sensation in the extremities due to nerve damage) following treatment for myeloma. Specifically, the researchers found that patients with sensory deficits before the start of treatment were at a higher risk of developing treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy. Treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common complication for myeloma patients who undergo treatment with Velcade (bortezomib) or thalidomide (Thalomid). The researchers believe that testing of nerve function prior to treatment may be able to identify patients at high risk of developing treatment-induced peripheral neuropathy. For more information, please refer to the study in Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology (abstract).
Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Of Elotuzumab Plus Revlimid, Velcade, And Dexamethasone In Newly Diagnosed High-Risk Myeloma Patients Has Launched – The Southwest Oncology Group, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, has started a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of elotuzumab in combination with Velcade, Revlimid (lenalidomide), and dexamethasone (Decadron). The study is open to newly diagnosed high-risk myeloma patients. Elotuzumab, which is being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), is a monoclonal antibody that stimulates the immune system to destroy myeloma cells. Previous studies have shown that it is effective in relapsed and refractory myeloma patients, particularly when used in combination with Revlimid and dexamethasone (see related Beacon news). About half the patients in the new trial will be treated with Velcade, Revlimid, and dexamethasone alone. The other half will receive the same three drugs plus elotuzumab. For more information about the study, including how to enroll, please see the clinical trial description.
News»
Looking back at all that has happened in the world of multiple myeloma since January of 2012, it is hard not to be impressed by the many important developments that took place.
There is the obvious fact that, during that time, not one, but two new drugs to treat myeloma were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Prior to 2012, the FDA had not approved a novel anti-myeloma therapy in over six years.
Yet 2012 was meaningful to the myeloma community for reasons beyond the activity at the FDA’s …
News»
This year’s meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) was held December 8 through 11 in Atlanta.
During the meeting, The Beacon published daily updates that provided overviews of the important multiple myeloma findings presented during the meeting. After the meeting concluded, The Beacon began publishing in-depth articles about the key research findings.
This article, however, shifts the focus to the bigger picture: What were the key findings of the meeting? Were there results with immediate implications for the treatment of multiple myeloma? Did the research …
