Articles tagged with: Myeloma Vaccine
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Health Canada Approves Subcutaneous Velcade – Janssen, the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary that markets Velcade (bortezomib) outside of the United States, announced last week that Health Canada has approved the subcutaneous (under-the-skin) administration of Velcade for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Subcutaneous Velcade has been shown to be as effective as intravenous Velcade but is associated with fewer and less severe side effects. The Canadian approval follows the approval of subcutaneous Velcade in the U.S. in January (see related Beacon news). For more information, please see the Janssen press release.
Threshold Pharmaceuticals Begins Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Of TH-302 For Multiple Myeloma – Threshold Pharmaceuticals last week announced the start of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its investigational drug TH-302 for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of TH-302 alone or in combination with Velcade in myeloma patients who have received at least two prior lines of therapy. TH-302 is a drug that is activated under low oxygen level conditions, which are common in tumors and the bone marrow of people with blood cancers. It is currently also being investigated in a range of solid tumors. For more information about the study or enrollment, please see the Threshold press release or the clinical trial description.
MUC1-2-VNTR Vaccine May Be Active Against Myeloma – The results of a recent preclinical study demonstrate that the DNA vaccine MUC1-2-VNTR delays tumor growth and extends the survival time of mice with multiple myeloma. The vaccine produces an immune response that specifically targets tumors, showing promise as a potential treatment for myeloma. For more information, see the study in Oncology Reports (abstract).
Living With Myeloma Conference – On March 24, the Arizona Myeloma Network will be hosting a free, regional conference for myeloma patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Presentations by myeloma experts will address developments in myeloma research, treatment issues, and supportive care services. For more information or to register, please visit the Arizona Myeloma Network website.
IMF Patient And Family Seminar – The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) will be holding a seminar for multiple myeloma patients and their families on March 23 and 24 in Seattle, WA. Dr. Brian Durie from the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Bill Bensinger from the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and Dr. Keith Stewart from the Mayo Clinic Arizona will present on topics including treatment advances, managing side effects, and new clinical trials. For more information or to register, please visit the IMF website.
For a more detailed listing of myeloma-related events, please check the Myeloma Beacon Events Calendar.
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OncoPep and Dana-Farber Sign License Agreement For Myeloma Vaccine Technology – The biotechnology company OncoPep has signed a license agreement with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston to further develop and commercialize PVX-410, a potential vaccine-based treatment for multiple myeloma. PVX-410 has been shown to stimulate an immune response against myeloma cell lines. Researchers plan to conduct a Phase 1/2a study this year of PVX-410 in patients with smoldering multiple myeloma. OncoPep also hopes to use the PVX-410 technology to develop additional cancer vaccines. For more information, please see the OncoPep press release (pdf).
Celgene Invests $15 Million In Acetylon Pharmaceuticals – Celgene, the company that markets the myeloma treatments Revlimid (lenalidomide) and thalidomide (Thalomid), announced last week that it will invest $15 million in Acetylon Pharmaceuticals. Acetylon is developing ACY-1215, a selective HDAC inhibitor being investigated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients. Other HDAC inhibitors under investigation for multiple myeloma include Zolinza (vorinostat) and panobinostat. Acetylon hopes that ACY-1215, which is more selective than other HDAC inhibitors, will be more effective and have fewer side effects. For more information, please see the Acetylon press release.
Anti-Alcoholism Drug Antabuse May Be Active Against Myeloma – In a recent preclinical study, Italian researchers demonstrated that Antabuse (disulfiram), a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic alcoholism, has anti-myeloma effect. Antabuse, alone or in combination with copper, killed myeloma cell lines and cells from 22 newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory myeloma patients. According to the Italian researchers, Antabuse was comparable to standard chemotherapy in terms of its ability to kill myeloma cells, but it did not harm healthy blood cells. For more information, please see the study in the International Journal of Cancer (abstract).
Generic Zometa Recommended For Approval In Europe – Zoledronic Acid Actavis, a generic version of Zometa (zoledronic acid) from the company Actavis, has received a positive recommendation for approval in the European Union. The committee that provides guidance to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) made the recommendation last week. If approved, Zoledronic Acid Actavis, like Zometa, will be available for use in the prevention of skeletal events in persons with advanced cancers involving bone, and for the treatment of tumor-involved high calcium levels. For more information, see the EMA announcement (pdf).
Cyclophosphamide-Velcade-Dexamethasone Combination Is Effective In Patients With Amyloidosis – Two research studies were published last week showing that a combination regimen used in the treatment of myeloma -- cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron), often abbreviated CyBorD or VCD -- may be effective in the treatment of amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is a blood disorder that results in the abnormal accumulation of proteins in tissues and organs throughout the body. An estimated 10 percent to 15 percent of myeloma patients also develop symptoms associated with amyloidosis (see related Beacon news). Stem cell transplantation is a standard treatment for amyloidosis patients who are eligible. One of the studies published last week was a retrospective study that showed that 94 percent of amyloidosis patients responded to CyBorD treatment, and 18 percent of patients who were initially ineligible for a stem cell transplant became eligible following the treatment. The second study also was a retrospective analysis. It found that 81 percent of amyloidosis patients responded to CyBorD treatment, and researchers also observed a rapid improvement in patients’ organ function. For more information, please see the first and second studies in the journal Blood (abstracts).
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Results from a number of multiple myeloma studies were presented yesterday during the second day of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2011 annual meeting in San Diego.
Predicting Response To Immunomodulatory Drugs
During an oral presentation and a poster presentation yesterday, researchers discussed the role of the protein cereblon in the treatment of myeloma. Results from one study (abstract) in myeloma cell lines suggested that cereblon plays a key role in whether multiple myeloma patients respond to the immunomodulatory drugs Revlimid (lenalidomide) and pomalidomide. Another study (abstract) …
