Articles tagged with: PVX-410
News»
The 2014 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) starts tomorrow, December 5, in San Francisco, and will continue until next Tuesday.
The ASH annual meeting is one of several large medical conferences where myeloma-related research findings are presented each year. However, from a multiple myeloma perspective, the ASH meeting is generally the most important of the meetings.
At this year’s meeting, for example, some 500 myeloma-presentations are scheduled to take place. The presentations will summarize current research on a wide range of topics, including the biology of the disease …
News»
OncoPep, a biotech company developing a potential therapeutic vaccine for multiple myeloma, is the Myeloma Beacon’s newest pharmaceutical industry sponsor.
OncoPep was founded in 2010 to develop novel cancer immunotherapies that stimulate a patient’s own immune system to attack cancer cells. The company’s first investigational immunotherapy is PVX-410, a cancer vaccine based on research in the laboratory of Dr. Kenneth Anderson and Dr. Nikhil Munshi at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
“OncoPep’s decision to support The Myeloma Beacon is yet another example of a forward-looking organization finding itself aligned with the …
Opinion»
The sun is shining, and our cats are dreaming in sunbeams about catching quick-footed squirrels just out of reach. Summer … It feels good to finally be here, and so it’s fitting that I now conclude the three-part series on our journey from the dark days of my husband Daniel’s initial diagnosis to the brighter days of the present.
As I mentioned in my last column, we moved to Houston in 2012 so that Daniel could be treated by a myeloma specialist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. I truly believe that …
NewsFlash »
SF1126 Shows Promise As A Treatment Option For Myeloma Patients – Findings from a preclinical study suggest that the Semafore Pharmaceuticals’ investigational drug SF1126 may have anti-myeloma activity and may enhance the effect of Velcade (bortezomib). Similar to perifosine and GDC-0941, SF1126 works by inhibiting an enzyme in cancer cells known as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). This disrupts the cell division cycles and triggers cancer cell death. The investigators found that SF1126 inhibited myeloma growth by 94 percent and was particularly effective when administered in combination with Velcade. Based on their results, the investigators recommend that SF1126 be tested in combination with Velcade in a Phase 1 clinical trial. For more information, please refer to the study in Cancer Chemotherapy Pharmacology (abstract).
Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial To Study PVX-410 In Patients With Smoldering Myeloma – The pharmaceutical company OncoPep has launched a Phase 1/2 trial of the investigational cancer vaccine PVX-410 in patients with smoldering multiple myeloma. PVX-410 is a therapeutic cancer vaccine that targets specific proteins found on the surface of myeloma cells. Preclinical studies have shown that PVX-410 may be effective in stimulating the immune system to kill myeloma cells. For more information on the Phase 1 trial, including trial locations, please see the clinical trial description.
Mixed Exercise Program May Be Safe And Improve Quality of Life Of Multiple Myeloma Patients – Results from a recent British study show that a mixed exercise program may be feasible, safe, and may improve the quality of life of myeloma patients. Additionally, the program may help patients regain muscle strength. According to the investigators, only a small number of previous studies have evaluated the impact of exercise programs on myeloma patient health and quality of life. Thus, the researchers developed an exercise program, which consisted of both gym and at-home workouts, and tested it with 37 myeloma patients in a single-arm clinical trial. The program included cardiovascular exercises, such as running or cycling, as well as weight lifting to improve muscle strength. The researchers found that a majority of the patients adhered to the program and that their upper limb strength and measures of quality of life improved. They noted, however, that their findings need to be confirmed by a randomized trial. For more information, please see the study in the journal BMC Cancer (abstract, which includes a link to a provisional full-text version of the article in PDF form).
Researchers Identify Factors Associated With Infection During Velcade Treatment – Korean researchers recently found that, among patients receiving treatment with Velcade, those who had severely low levels of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and those who received less than eight cycles of treatment were more likely to experience severe infection during their treatment. Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that patients on Velcade be closely monitored during early treatment cycles for signs of severely low lymphocytes levels. For more information, please refer to the study in the International Journal of Hematology (abstract).
NewsFlash »
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).