NewsFlash »

Opinion: Kadian, A Little-Known Pain Drug – In the latest article published in the opinion section of the Myeloma Beacon, Lori Puente, whose husband Dave is a myeloma patient, writes about Dave’s experiences managing pain after a T8 vertebra fracture in 2008. Dave had been on a fentanyl patch as well as two oral pain drugs, but did not respond well to these drugs. Lori requested that Dave’s doctor prescribe Kadian, a morphine sulfate extended-release oral pain drug, based on a recommendation from an internal medicine physician. Lori describes in her article how Kadian has helped Dave manage his pain. To receive a copy of all opinion articles when they are published or if you are interested in contributing an opinion piece, please send an email to .

Geraldine Ferraro Dies Of Myeloma-Related Complications – Geraldine A. Ferraro, the first female U.S. vice-presidential candidate, died of myeloma-related complications at the age of 75 on Saturday. She was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma in November 1998 at the age of 63. She progressed to active myeloma in June 2000 and has since been treated by Dr. Kenneth Anderson at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She first received treatment with thalidomide (Thalomid). When that stopped working for her, she participated in a clinical trial for Revlimid (lenalidomide). She then received a stem cell transplant in 2005, followed by Velcade (bortezomib) maintenance therapy.

Ferraro did not disclose her disease until June 2001 when she testified on behalf of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in front of Congress for the passage of the Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act, which was aimed at expanding blood cancer research and cancer education. Since then, Ferraro has been an avid advocate of raising awareness about the disease. In addition, she was an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

MMRF Patient Seminar On Clinical Insights To Be Held In Short Hills, NJ – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is hosting a seminar on April 2 for multiple myeloma patients to learn about treatment options and to ask questions for myeloma experts. Topics include treatment for newly diagnosed patients, stem cell transplantation, relapsed/refractory treatments, supportive care options, and clinical trials. The seminar is chaired by Dr. David Siegel and Dr. David Vesole from the John Theurer Cancer Center in Hackensack, NJ. For more information or to register, please visit the MMRF website.

British Society For Haematology 51^st Annual Meeting – The British Society for Haematology will be holding its 51^st annual meeting at the Brighton Centre from April 4 to April 6. Myeloma-related talks include adopting myeloma protocols in high-risk settings, the diagnosis and management of myeloma, and future advances in myeloma treatment. For more information, please see the British Society for Haematology website.

For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.

NewsFlash »

Bafetinib May Prevent Bone Loss For Cancer Patients – A series of preclinical studies indicate that the drug bafetinib (INNO-406) inhibits bone deterioration in cancer patients who are at high risk for bone loss, including multiple myeloma patients. Although bafetinib is being developed by CytRX for the treatment of certain types of leukemia, the latest preclinical studies showed that bafetinib also suppresses the activity of bone cells that break down bone and cause fractures, bone pain, and high blood calcium levels. Bafetinib is also being tested in ongoing clinical trials for effectiveness against prostate cancer and brain tumors.  For more information, please see the CytRx Corporation press release.

Phase 2 Study Will Examine Curcumin’s Ability To Reduce Myeloma Symptoms During Maintenance Therapy – M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston will begin a Phase 2 clinical trial to determine whether curcumin, the active ingredient in the Indian spice turmeric, can reduce symptoms of myeloma for patients taking Revlimid (lenalidomide) as maintenance therapy. Researchers will assess the effects of curcumin on pain, fatigue, bone aches, numbness, and disturbed sleep. The trial, which is not yet enrolling patients, will begin in June and include approximately 70 participants. For more information, please see the United States Clinical Trials Registry.

MMRF Patient Symposium To Be Held In Los Angeles – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will hold a symposium for myeloma patients and their families on February 26 at Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City. After a basic introduction to multiple myeloma, leading myeloma experts will speak about managing bone disease, treatment options for myeloma patients, and clinical trials. A panel of myeloma experts will also be available to answer questions from patients and family members. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the program will conclude at 2:30 p.m. For more information or to register, please visit the MMRF website.

For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.

NewsFlash »

General Discussion Forum Added To The Myeloma Beacon Forums – The Beacon forums have been expanded to include a forum for general discussion not specifically related to multiple myeloma.  This new area of the forums is called “The Burgundy Café” and allows those within the Beacon community to get to know each other better through discussions about a wide variety of topics.  Feel free to discuss within the Burgundy Café whatever may be on your mind, as long as the conversation remains respectful and courteous.

Senesco Technologies Submits Application To FDA For Investigational Myeloma Drug SNS01-T – Senesco Technologies announced today that it filed an “Investigational New Drug” application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the company’s compound SNS01-T, which has shown potential for treating multiple myeloma.  Approval of this application would allow Senesco to initiate clinical testing of the compound.  For more information, see the Senesco press release.

John Theurer Cancer Center Receives $2 Million To Improve Safety Of Donor Transplants For Myeloma Patients – Dr. Thea Friedman from the John Theurer Cancer Center in Hackensack, NJ, received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute to support her research over the next five years.  Dr. Friedman has been studying ways to improve the outcomes of multiple myeloma patients undergoing allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplants. She plans to start a Phase 1 clinical trial near the end of the year.  For more information, see the John Theurer Cancer Center website.

MMRF And Synta Pharmaceuticals Collaborate To Develop Ganetespib For Myeloma – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and Synta Pharmaceuticals established a joint collaboration to develop Synta’s compound ganetespib (STA-9090) for the treatment of multiple myeloma.  The MMRF will provide $1 million to fund a Phase 1 clinical trial studying ganetespib alone and in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) in relapsed multiple myeloma patients.  Ganetespib belongs to a class of drugs known as Hsp90 inhibitors, which includes tanespimycin and several other compounds that have shown promise in myeloma clinical trials.  Hsp90 inhibitors promote the degradation of proteins that are critical for myeloma cell growth, survival, and drug resistance.  For more information, see the MMRF website.

NewsFlash »

Opinion: Stem Cell Collection And Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment – In the latest article published in the opinion section of The Beacon, Lori Puente, whose husband is a multiple myeloma patient, wrote about her husband’s use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment to improve his number of stem cells available for collection.  Lori’s husband Dave received extensive radiation for his bone damage.  After being told that the radiation would likely severely hinder Dave’s ability to collect enough stem cells, Lori and Dave learned that hyperbaric oxygen treatment might increase the number of stem cells available for collection.  Lori describes in her article how Dave underwent hyperbaric oxygen treatment and successfully collected enough stem cells for 11 transplants. To receive a copy of all opinion articles when they are published or if you are interested in contributing an opinion piece, send an email to .

The Beacon’s ASH 2010 Coverage Is Now Completed – As of yesterday, The Beacon completed its comprehensive coverage of the 2010 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting, including more than 20 articles with daily updates from the meeting and in-depth summaries of key myeloma-related presentations. Discussions about presentations from each day of the conference can also be found in the Beacon Forums (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4).

SNS01-T Receives Orphan Drug Status For Multiple Myeloma – On January 3, Senesco Technologies announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the company’s lead therapeutic candidate, SNS01-T, orphan drug status for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The FDA uses the orphan drug designation to promote the development of new treatments for diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States. The orphan drug status provides the company with multiple benefits, including funding for clinical trials, accelerated FDA approval, and marketing exclusivity for up to seven years.  Senesco plans to begin clinical trials with SNS01-T later this year. For more information, please see the Senesco press release.

Epizyme Receives $1 Million From MMRF And $20 Million From GSK For Research That May Benefit Myeloma Patients – The Boston-area biotech company Epizyme recently announced $21 million in funding for the research of histone methyltransferase (HMT) inhibitors. Epizyme’s research targets HMT proteins that regulate the on/off switch for genes, many of which are associated with multiple myeloma and other cancers. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) awarded $1 million in funding to Epizyme for its development of innovative myeloma treatments. Epizyme will also receive $20 million plus additional milestone payments in a deal with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the discovery and development of Epizyme’s HMT inhibitors. Epizyme will be responsible for all research activities up to the selection of a development candidate for each target HMT. From that stage, GSK will control all further development and marketing activities. For more information, please see the MMRF and Epizyme press releases.

NewsFlash »

Vaxil BioTherapeutics Initiates Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Of ImMucin - Vaxil Biotherapeutics, a vaccine development company, has begun recruiting multiple myeloma patients for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for its therapeutic vaccine ImMucin. Patients in the clinical trial will receive between six and twelve injections of ImMucin over three to six months. Researchers will follow up with patients for an additional six months. The clinical trial, which will evaluate the safety of ImMucin, will be held in Israel, where Vaxil is based. For more information, please see the Vaxil BioTherapeutics press release and the clinical trial description.

Senesco Plans Phase 1/2 Study Of SNS01-T – Senesco Technologies, a biotechnology company, announced plans to file by the end of 2010 for approval of a Phase 1a/2b study of SNS01-T in multiple myeloma patients. SNS01-T has shown promising results pre-clinical studies involving mice. If approved, the trial will begin in the first half of 2011. For more information, please see the Senesco press release.

International Society Of Hematology Congress – The International Society of Hematology will hold its 33rd annual congress in Jerusalem between October 10 and 13. Hematologists from around the world will gather to discuss the latest research, therapies, and tools available in the field. For more information, please see the Hematology Congress 2010 website.

Clinical Insights Educational Program – Dr. Robert Orlowski of the MD Anderson Cancer Center will be chairing an educational program in Houston on October 15. The program will feature seminars by some of the leading myeloma researchers, including Drs. Kenneth Anderson, Sagar Lonial, William Bensinger, Nikhil Munshi, and Irene Ghobrial. Seminar topics include front-line therapy, stem cell transplant, relapsed/refractory disease, supportive care, and clinical trials. The program will close with a question and answer panel by the faculty. For more information, please see the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation website.

For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.

NewsFlash »

U.K. Agency Recommends Velcade and Thalidomide For Myeloma Patients – The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the agency that decides which treatments will be funded for patients in England and Wales, released a final draft guidance on June 2 recommending that Velcade (bortezomib) and thalidomide (Thalomid) can be used as first-line treatments for multiple myeloma patients who are not candidates for stem cell transplants. Both drugs are currently recommended as second-line treatments. The final guidance deciding the use of Velcade and thalidomide in the U.K. is expected later this year. For more information, please see the NICE website.

15th Congress Of The European Hematology Association – As a reminder to Beacon readers, the European Hematology Association (EHA) will hold its 15th meeting from June 10 to 13 in Barcelona, Spain.  European researchers and physicians will meet to present the latest research findings about multiple myeloma and other blood disorders.  The Myeloma Beacon will also be covering the event on its website.  For more information, please visit the EHA Congress website.

MMRF Race For Research – On June 13, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will hold a Race For Research 5K Walk/Run in New Canaan, CT, to raise awareness and funds for multiple myeloma research. Registration is scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and the race starts at 9 a.m. For more information, please see the MMRF website.

For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.

News»

The results of a recent study suggest that Zolinza (vorinostat), in combination with Velcade (bortezomib), may be effective in patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma after prior treatment with Velcade. The study was published in the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia.

Velcade has become a standard first-line treatment option for multiple myeloma, but more and more patients are developing resistance to or relapsing after it. Zolinza is a new cancer drug that is already approved for a certain form of lymphoma. Preclinical trials suggest that it enhances …