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Subcutaneous Velcade Receives Approval In Europe For Multiple Myeloma –  Janssen-Cilag, the company that markets Velcade (bortezomib) in Europe, announced on Friday that the European Medicines Agency has granted marketing authorization of subcutaneous Velcade. The decision was based on results of a Phase 3 study demonstrating that subcutaneous Velcade is as effective as intravenous Velcade but associated with fewer and less serious side effects.  Europe is the third region where subcutaneous Velcade is now available; both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada approved the use of subcutaneous Velcade for myeloma in their respective countries earlier this year. For more information, see the press release from Janssen-Cilag or the Phase 3 results published in the journal Hematologica (abstract).

Methyljasmonate Shows Activity Against Multiple Myeloma – Results from a recent preclinical study suggest that methyljasmonate, a compound produced by plants under stressful conditions, may be active against multiple myeloma. Previous studies have shown that a related family of plant compounds called jasmonates can kill various types of cancer cells. In the current study, researchers found that methyljasmonate was able to kill myeloma cells lines and myeloma cells from patient samples at concentrations that did not affect normal stem cells. In mice that carried diffuse multiple myeloma lesions, a combination of methyljasmonate and Velcade prolonged overall survival time more than either drug alone. For more information, please see the study in the British Journal of Hematology (abstract).

Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial To Study Rapamune-Hydroxychloroquine Combination In Relapsed And Refractory Myeloma Patients – The Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health and Science University is starting a Phase 1 trial of Rapamune (sirolimus or rapamycin) and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) in combination with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and dexamethasone (Decadron) in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients. Myeloma patients must have received at least one prior therapy to be able to participate in the trial. Rapamune belongs to the same class of drugs as Torisel (temsirolimus) and Afinitor (everolimus) called mTor inhibitors; it is currently approved for the prevention of kidney rejection. Hydroxychloroquine is used to prevent and treat malaria and to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Both agents have been studied in preclinical studies for multiple myeloma. For more information, please see the clinical trial description.

Donor Stem Cell Transplants May Be More Effective But Less Safe Than Autologous Transplants As Second Transplant For Myeloma Patients – Results from a recent retrospective analysis show that allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplants may be more effective but less safe than autologous (self) stem cell transplants in myeloma patients who have already received an autologous transplant. The analysis included data from 1,192 patients who received two autologous transplants and 630 patients who received one autologous transplant followed by a donor transplant. Patients in the auto/donor group received reduced-intensity chemotherapy after the autologous transplant, in preparation for the donor transplant. The results showed that patients in the auto/donor group were 1.4 times more likely than patients in the auto/auto group to achieve a complete response. However, auto/donor patients had a 3.3-fold higher risk of treatment-related death than auto/auto counterparts. Overall survival and progression-free survival were comparable between both groups of patients. For more information, please refer to the study in Bone Marrow Transplantation (abstract).