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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.

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Myeloma Expert Dr. Philip McCarthy To Field Questions At The Beacon Forums Next Week – During the week of December 13 through 17, multiple myeloma patients will have the opportunity to get expert answers to their myeloma-related questions: Myeloma expert Dr. Philip McCarthy from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, will answer medical questions posted to the Beacon’s multiple myeloma forums throughout the week. Readers are encouraged to start posting their questions in the forums.

BT-062 Is Safe In Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (ASH 2010) – The investigational drug BT-062, which is being developed by the German company Biotest AG, is safe in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients, according to the Phase 1 trial results presented at the 2010 Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Researchers tested seven different dose levels (10 mg/m² to 200 mg/m²). Researchers observed severe skin- and mucous membrane-related side effects at the highest dose level. They therefore determined the maximum tolerated dose to be 160 mg/m². A sufficient amount of anti-myeloma activity was observed for this drug to continue to Phase 1/2 testing, which puts more emphasis on the efficacy of the drug. For more information, please see abstract 3060 on the ASH annual meeting website.

ARRY-520 Shows Single-Agent Activity in Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma (ASH 2010) – Phase 1 clinical trial results presented at ASH earlier this week showed that the experimental drug ARRY-520 (filanesib) from Array BioPharma has anti-myeloma effects as a single agent. Four of 30 relapsed/refractory myeloma patients enrolled in the study responded to treatment. ARRY-520 was administered intravenously at different doses (1 mg/m² to 2.25 mg/m²) on days 1 and 2 of a 14-day cycle with or without growth factors.  The maximum tolerated dose was 1.25 mg/m² ARRY-520, but the dose could be increased with the addition of growth factors. The most commonly reported side effect was low white blood cell counts. Inflammation of the digestive tract mucus membrane was observed at higher dose levels.  The maximum tolerated dose in combination with growth factors, which is still being investigated, will be used in the Phase 2 trials that Array BioPharma plans to initiate soon. For more information, please see abstract 1959 on the ASH meeting website and the Array BioPharma press release.

Panobinostat Combination Shows Potential For Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (ASH 2010) – According to Phase 1 trial results presented at ASH, the oral experimental cancer drug panobinostat (Farydak, LBH589) from Novartis showed promising results in combination with melphalan (Alkeran), prednisone, and thalidomide (Thalomid). Of the 24 relapsed/refractory myeloma patients enrolled in the study, 50 percent responded to the treatment, with 17 percent achieving a very good partial response. However, the initial dose of 15 mg of panobinostat was associated with severe side effects (low white blood cell counts in 69 percent of patients and low platelet counts in 46 percent).  Therefore, researchers decided to lower the dose to 10 mg. The rate of low platelet counts decreased, but the rate of low white blood cell counts remained high. The researchers concluded that different dosing schedules need to be investigated to further decrease the rate of blood-related side effects. For more information, please see abstract 3019 on the ASH meeting website.

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Myeloma Expert Dr. James R. Berenson To Field Questions At The Beacon Forums Next Week –Multiple myeloma patients will once again have the opportunity to get expert answers to their myeloma-related questions: Leading myeloma expert Dr. James R. Berenson, founder of the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, will answer medical questions posted to the Beacon’s multiple myeloma forums during the upcoming week. Readers are encouraged to begin posting their questions in the forums.

Potential Myeloma Treatment Mapatumumab Fails In Phase 2 Trials – Human Genome Sciences announced on Wednesday that results from a recent Phase 2 trial showed that mapatumumab (HGS-ETR1) in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) did not lead to better response rates or progression-free survival than Velcade alone. However, the treatment was well tolerated in trial participants. For more information, please see the Human Genome Sciences press release.

PharmaMar Initiates Phase 3 Myeloma Trial Of Plitidepsin – Spanish company PharmaMar on Tuesday announced the start of enrollment for an international Phase 3 trial of plitidepsin (proposed brand name: Aplidin) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients. The trial will enroll 300 patients and will test plitidepsin in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron) vs. dexamethasone alone. Plitidepsin is an antitumor agent of marine origin that is synthetically produced. For more information, please see the PharmaMar press release and the trial information at ClinicalTrials.gov.

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Myeloma Experts From Ohio State University To Field Questions At The Beacon Forums Next Week – As a way of giving multiple myeloma patients an opportunity to get expert answers to their myeloma-related questions, The Myeloma Beacon has arranged for physicians from The Ohio State University’s Myeloma Clinic to answer medical questions posted to the Beacon forums during the upcoming week. The center has a number of young, enthusiastic myeloma specialists who are eager to answer forum readers’ questions. One of the experts, Dr. Craig Hofmeister, has already provided answers to a number of forum questions. Readers are encouraged to begin posting their questions to the forums.

Boehringer Ingelheim And Micromet Announce Cooperation For Experimental Multiple Myeloma Treatment – Boehringer Ingelheim and Micromet announced last week that they will collaborate on the development of BiTE antibodies for the treatment of multiple myeloma. BiTE antibodies, which were discovered by Micromet, target the body’s immune system toward tumor cells. The two companies will conduct pre-clinical studies together. Boehringer Ingelheim will be responsible for the clinical development of the treatment. For more information, please see the Boehringer Ingelheim press release.

Celebrity Michael McKean Wins $1 Million On Jeopardy! For International Myeloma Foundation – Michael McKean, a film and television show actor, writer, and director, was the champion of last week’s Jeopardy! celebrity tournament. McKean donated the grand prize of $1 million to the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) to be used for patient and family education programs as well as multiple myeloma research. For more information, please see the IMF press release.

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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center To Field Questions At The Beacon's Forums This Week – Dr. William Bensinger, myeloma expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA, will be be responding to medical questions posted in the Myeloma Beacon's forums this week. Readers who have not yet visited the Beacon's new myeloma discussion forums are encouraged to do so, as they already contain a number of informative postings about topics such as myeloma treatment options, managing treatment side effects, and alternative myeloma therapies.

Treanda Combination Therapy Enters Phase 1B/2 Trial For Multiple Myeloma – Last week, the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) announced the start of a Phase 1B/2 clinical trial that will evaluate a combination of Treanda (bendamustine), Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) in relapsed multiple myeloma patients. Treanda is already approved in Germany in combination with prednisone for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In the United States, the drug is approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and certain lymphomas.  For more information, see the MMRC press release or the clinical trial description.

MMRF Kicks Off Race For Research 5K Walk/Run Series – On April 25, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will kick off its annual Race For Research 5K Walk/Run series to raise awareness and funds for multiple myeloma research. The events will take place in eight cities across the Unites States. The first one is scheduled for April 25 in San Francisco. For more information and registration details, see the MMRF Web site.

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

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Myeloma Experts From University Of Arkansas Answer Questions At The Myeloma Beacon Forums This Week – Dr. Bart Barlogie and Dr. Bijay Nair, myeloma experts from the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will be answering medical questions posted to the forums at the Myeloma Beacon this week. Readers can post their questions and review answers from other myeloma experts by visiting the Myeloma Beacon Forums.

MMRF Grants Funding To Intellikine and Tragara Pharmaceuticals For Novel Myeloma Treatments – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced last week that it will award Intellikine and Tragara Pharmaceuticals, two biotech companies based in Southern California, with $1 million each for the development of two new compounds for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Intellikine’s INK128 and Tragara Pharmaceuticals’ TG02 have both shown potential for multiple myeloma in pre-clinical studies. For more information, please see the MMRF press release.

5th Annual “Music Against Myeloma” Fundraiser To Be Held In NYC – On April 22, special musical performances will take place during the 5^th annual “Music Against Myeloma” fundraiser to the benefit of the International Myeloma Foundation. The event will take place at BLVD in New York City from 7 to 10 p.m. Advance tickets are $40. Please see the Music Against Myeloma Web site for additional information and to purchase tickets.

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

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Myeloma Experts Continue To Answer Questions At The Myeloma Beacon Forums – The Mayo Clinic, represented by myeloma expert Dr. Martha Lacy, will be answering medical questions posted to the forums at the Myeloma Beacon this week. Readers are encouraged to post their questions to the Myeloma Beacon Forums.

MannKind Receives MMRF Grant For Development Of New Myeloma Treatment – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and MannKind, a biopharmaceutical company based in Valencia, CA, announced today that the MMRF will award MannKind $1 million for the development of a new compound for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The new compound, an IRE-1a inhibitor, inhibits growth of tumor cells, which may in turn make the cancer cells more susceptible to common myeloma treatments.  The award is based on results from nonclinical studies. For more information, please see the MannKind press release.

The MMRF Holds Free Myeloma Symposium – On April 9, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will hold a free educational symposium for multiple myeloma patients, their family members and caregivers about the latest advances and treatments in multiple myeloma. The event will take place at the Grand Hyatt in New York, NY from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please see the MMRF Web site to register.

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