The U.S. pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb has halted development of tanespimycin, a new drug that had been in late-stage clinical trials as a potential treatment for multiple myeloma.

In a statement to The Myeloma Beacon, a Bristol representative explained that “After careful assessment and consideration, Bristol-Myers Squibb made the decision to terminate our development program for tanespimycin, which was in Phase 3 trials for the potential treatment of multiple myeloma.” 

The Bristol-Myers statement was issued after the Beacon inquired about the status of the tanespimycin development program. 

In a subsequent clarification to the Beacon, Bristol …

During this year’s meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), there were several presentations about tanespimycin, a new drug currently being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Kosan Biosciences. Tanespimycin inhibits Hsp90, which acts as a molecular chaperone for proteins critical to the growth, survival, and drug resistance of cancerous cells.  

Safety And Activity Profile Of Tanespimycin And Velcade From Phase 1/2 Study

One of the ASH presentations showed that the combination treatment of tanespimycin and Velcade (bortezomib) effectively targets Hsp90 in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The treatment …

An American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting abstract, to be presented on June 1 at the ASCO Annual Meeting, describes a study on the combined effects of tanespimycin and Velcade (bortezomib) on patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Researchers found that combining tanespimycin and Velcade strengthened the drugs' effects; thus, the combined treatment compared favorably to therapy involving Velcade alone.

Tanespimycin, an antibiotic, binds to and disrupts Hsp90 (Heat Shock Protein 90). Hsp90 is a “chaperone” protein; it helps in the production of other proteins that contribute to …