Articles tagged with: Mozobil
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In September 2015, after three months of induction with Revlimid (lenalidomide), Velcade (bortezomib), and dexamethasone (Decadron), my IgA heavy chain M-spike had fallen from 6.5 g/dL (65 g/L) to zero. My doctor felt that the time was right to get onto the next phase of treatment – a stem cell transplant.
I remember being apprehensive, but actually quite excited at the same time, as this procedure seemed to be the door to a real chance of remission and – with luck – many years of good health …
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Stem Cell Remobilization With Mozobil Is Possible – Results of a small retrospective study conducted at City of Hope National Medical Center show that remobilization of stem cells with Mozobil (plerixafor) is possible in multiple myeloma patients. Specifically, the researchers found that most multiple myeloma patients (83 percent) who previously failed to collect enough stem cells with Mozobil to proceed to transplantation collected enough stem cells after a second round of mobilization with Mozobil. For more information, please refer to the study in the journal Transfusion (abstract).
Another Study Finds Link Between Cereblon Levels And Revlimid Efficacy – Results of a retrospective analysis conducted in Austria and Italy show that levels of the protein cereblon in patients’ myeloma cells may impact the efficacy of Revlimid (lenalidomide). The researchers found that newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients with high cereblon levels responded better to treatment with Revlimid and dexamethasone (Decadron) than those with low cereblon levels. The results of the current study support results of previous studies that showed that cereblon is necessary for the immunomodulatory drugs – particularly Revlimid and Pomalyst (pomalidomide) – to be effective against multiple myeloma (see related Beacon news). For more information, please see the study in the British Journal Of Haematology (abstract).
Stem Cell Transplantation May Be More Effective In Amyloidosis Than Multiple Myeloma – Results of a recent retrospective analysis conducted at the Mayo Clinic indicate that patients with immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis may benefit more from stem cell transplantation than patients with multiple myeloma. Specifically, the researchers found that more light chain amyloidosis patients achieved a complete response, compared to multiple myeloma patients (40 percent versus 29 percent, respectively). Overall survival was also superior in patients with amyloidosis (9.4 years versus 5 years, respectively). The researchers found that even among those who achieved a complete response, survival was longer for those with amyloidosis. They therefore hypothesize that the biology of the two diseases is very different, despite the similarity in the two types of plasma cell disorders. For more information, please see the study in the journal Bone Marrow Transplantation (abstract).
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Stem Cell Mobilization With Cyclophosphamide And G-CSF Is More Effective And Less Expensive Than Mozobil And G-CSF – Findings from a recent study show that cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is more effective than Mozobil (plerixafor) plus G-CSF as a stem cell mobilization therapy for multiple myeloma patients. Both Mozobil and cyclophosphamide increase the number of stem cells that can be harvested during collection. Patients in the recent study who received the cyclophosphamide-G-CSF combination collected significantly more stem cells than patients who received Mozobil plus G-CSF (16.6 × 106 cells/kg versus 11.6 × 106 cells/kg). In addition, the investigators found that the total cost of stem cell mobilization was less with cyclophosphamide plus G-CSF than with Mozobil plus G-CSF. However, cyclophosphamide plus G-CSF was associated with significantly higher rates of side effects, antibiotic use, and hospitalization. For more information, please see the study in Bone Marrow Transplantation (abstract).
Psychosocial Support May Be Appropriate For Newly Diagnosed Myeloma Patients - Results from a German study indicate that about half of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients desire psychosocial support soon after their diagnosis. Psychosocial support includes services intended to help a myeloma patient with the psychological, emotional, social, and practical effects of their diagnosis and treatment. Of the 114 myeloma patients included in the study, 51 percent desired psychosocial support, with depressed and younger patients having the greatest interest. Specifically, patients were most interested in relaxation techniques (21 percent), psychological counseling (20 percent), and peer support groups (18 percent). At the time of diagnosis, 24 percent of patients reported signs of depression and 8 percent reported signs of anxiety. Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that a variety of different types of psychosocial support be offered to myeloma patients at the time of diagnosis. For more information, please refer to the study in the journal Psycho-Oncology (abstract).
Preclinical Study Indicates Melphalan-Flufenamide May Be Effective In Multiple Myeloma – Results from a preclinical study indicate that a new melphalan-based treatment may be effective for multiple myeloma. The treatment, known as melphalan-flufenamide or J1, is being developed by the Swedish pharmaceutical company Oncopeptides and consists of melphalan (Alkeran) bound to flufenamide. The drug only becomes active once it enters a cell and melphalan is released from flufenamide. Cancer cells more efficiently activate the drug, increasing the concentration of melphalan in cancer cells compared to healthy cells. Specifically, the results showed that melphalan-flufenamide effectively killed myeloma cells that were resistant to Velcade (bortezomib) and melphalan alone. The researchers found that even low doses of melphalan-flufenamide were effective and should be safer than the doses of melphalan current used to treat myeloma. For more information, please refer to the study in Clinical Cancer Research (abstract).
Clinical Trial To Study WT1 Vaccine In Multiple Myeloma Patients – The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has launched a pilot trial to study the Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) vaccine in multiple myeloma patients who just received a stem cell transplant. WT1 is a protein that is often present in myeloma cells. The goal of the study is to determine whether the vaccine activates the patient’s immune system against myeloma cells with WT1. Eligible patients must be at least 18 years old, have WT1-positive myeloma, and be eligible to undergo an autologous stem cell transplant. For more information on the trial, please see the clinical trial description.
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A new study indicates that patients treated with Mozobil prior to a stem cell transplant may have an increased risk of developing a secondary cancer.
The patients in the new study were being treated for either lymphoma or myeloma. They were given Mozobil (plerixafor) to improve their chances of harvesting enough stem cells to allow them to undergo an autologous (own) stem cell transplant.
All patients in the study were treated with Mozobil, and all had previously failed to collect enough stem cells for a transplant.
Among the patients in …
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A recent study suggests that Mozobil helps multiple myeloma patients with prior exposure to Revlimid collect enough stem cells for transplantation.
The study investigators conclude that stem cell mobilization with the aid of a growth factor plus Mozobil (plerixafor) is an effective upfront approach for multiple myeloma patients who plan to undergo a transplant, regardless of previous Revlimid (lenalidomide) exposure.
“With growth factor and preemptive Mozobil, virtually all patients with multiple myeloma can have successful stem cell collection,” said Dr. Luciano Jose Costa of the Medical University of South Carolina, and …
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Results of a recent Polish study show that the drug Mozobil may help multiple myeloma patients who previously had a stem cell transplant collect enough stem cells for a second transplant.
However, the results also showed that previously transplanted patients collected fewer stem cells than patients who had not received a stem cell transplant before.
According to the study authors, these results showed for the first time that Mozobil (plerixafor) is highly effective for previously transplanted myeloma patients.
Autologous stem cell transplantation, a common treatment option for younger, newly diagnosed myeloma …
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The number of stem cells harvested from multiple myeloma patients during the first day of collection predicts the success of the entire collection procedure, according to a recent study. Those patients with higher stem cell counts on the first day of collection are more likely to collect enough stem cells for transplantation.
The authors of the study suggested that patients with very low counts of blood forming stem cells on day one of collection should be treated with Mozobil (plerixafor), a drug used to mobilize stem cells from the bone marrow …