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Treatment strategies that com­bine Revlimid with newer types of anti-tumor agents may be ef­fec­tive for re­lapsed and re­frac­tory mul­ti­ple myeloma, ac­cord­ing to myeloma experts who reviewed re­­sults from stud­ies of these new com­bi­na­tions.

Refractory and re­lapsed mul­ti­ple myeloma is notoriously dif­fi­cult to treat. For every remission period that is achieved, relapse typ­i­cally arises sooner and with greater re­sis­tance to pre­vi­ously used ther­a­pies. These patients have lim­ited op­tions for ther­apy.

In examining trials that tested new ther­a­pies in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid (lena­lido­mide), the authors of the review hoped to find the po­ten­tial …

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[ by Melissa Cobleigh and | Oct 19, 2011 12:55 pm | 11 Comments ]

Earlier this year, an inter­na­tional group of myeloma experts pub­lished a review of ongoing re­search into new myeloma treat­ments.  This review not only described a wide range of po­ten­tial new myeloma treat­ments, but also in­cluded the experts' thoughts on where re­search into new treat­ments should go in the future.

Given the recent new drug appli­ca­tion for car­filz­o­mib and the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of He­ma­tol­ogy -- which undoubtedly will host dis­cus­sions of many po­ten­tial new myeloma treat­ments -- it seems an appro­pri­ate time to go back to the experts' review from …

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Protein May Interfere With Revlimid Doses In The Body – Results of a recent small Phase 1 clinical trial investigating the efficacy and safety of Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) in com­bi­na­tion with Torisel (temsirolimus) suggest that P-glycoprotein, a protein that causes the removal of certain drugs from cells into the bloodstream, interferes with Revlimid dosing. High levels of P-glycoprotein in cancer cells may be the cause of drug resistance. The researchers observed higher than expected concentrations of Revlimid in the patients’ bloodstreams. Experiments in the lab showed that P-glycoprotein removed Revlimid from the cancer cells. The experiments also showed that the rate of removal was lower when Torisel was added to the experiments, which, according to the study authors, is evidence that the two drugs inter­act via P-glycoprotein. For more in­­for­ma­tion, please see the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (abstract) or the Ohio State University Medical Center press release.

Phase 2 Trial Of Carfilzomib For Multiple Myeloma Is Recruiting Patients – The Multiple Myeloma Clinical Research Section at the National Cancer Institute is recruiting participants for a Phase 2 trial to test the effectiveness of the investigational drug carfilzomib in com­bi­na­tion with Revlimid and dexamethasone (Decadron) in newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. Patients will receive eight 28-day treat­ment cycles. Those who show at least stable disease after the treat­ment may con­tinue to receive 12 cycles of low-dose Revlimid main­te­nance ther­apy. In addi­tion to current standard, clinical methods for determining responses to the drugs, the researchers will use new molecular methods to assess response and to detect minimal residual disease. To par­tic­i­pate in the trial, please contact the research nurse, Mary Ann Yancey, at (301) 435-9227 or .

Chicago Area Workshop For Multiple Myeloma Patients – The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation will hold a one-day educational workshop for myeloma patients and their family members on August 20 in Oak Brook, IL. The pro­gram will be led by Dr. Todd Zimmerman, a myeloma expert from the University of Chicago Medical Center. Throughout the day, myeloma experts will talk about treat­ments options for newly diagnosed and re­lapsed/refractory patients, including stem cell trans­plants, supportive care options, and clinical trials.  The specialists will also be available to answer questions.  Registration will begin at 9 a.m., and the pro­gram will last from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Hamburger University at the Hyatt Lodge. For more in­­for­ma­tion or to register, please see the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation website. 

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

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According to the results of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, Torisel in combination with Velcade was well tolerated and effective for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Dr. Irene Ghobrial of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute presented the results at the 2010 annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference held in Orlando last month.

Dr. Ghobrial said the trial results were promising in heavily pretreated myeloma patients and that the combination of Torisel (temsirolimus) and Velcade (bortezomib) warrants further evaluation.

Torisel is marketed by Pfizer and is currently approved for the …