Articles tagged with: VCD
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Good morning, myeloma world.
After a particularly busy inaugural edition of Myeloma Morning, today's edition doesn't have quite as much ground to cover. We'll be focusing most of today's discussion on just four new research studies that have been published.
That being said, the first of those studies is going to require more than the usual amount of attention.
That's because the study is a new International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) consensus statement concerning high-risk cytogenetics – a subject of significant interest to almost everyone in myeloma world (
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Results from a recent, small-scale study conducted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston suggest that three Velcade-based combination therapies given at lower doses over a short period of time may be safe and effective in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients .
In particular, two out of the three combinations showed overall response rates of above 90 percent, and all combinations were associated with few side effects.
Based on their findings, the researchers conclude that the tested combinations are viable alternatives to standard Velcade (bortezomib)-based combinations given over longer periods …
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Yesterday was the first day of research presentations at this year’s American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, which is being held in Atlanta.
Research findings related to multiple myeloma was presented in three different sessions during the day.
Two of the sessions were actually the same general educational session about multiple myeloma, repeated at two different times during the day. The Beacon will cover the presentations given during those sessions in a separate daily update.
The key myeloma-related research presented yesterday, however, was made public during a poster session in the …
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Results from a small, retrospective study indicate that combination therapy with Velcade, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone may be effective in newly diagnosed myeloma patients with kidney damage.
The findings, discussed in a letter to the editor of the European Journal of Haematology, show that kidney impairment did not worsen in any patients who received the three-drug treatment.
The study investigators also note that side effects were manageable, but recommend further research of the three-drug therapy to determine its safety as a long-term treatment option.
Kidney impairment is a common myeloma-related complication. It is …
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Upfront therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients should be risk-adapted and individualized, according to Dr. Vincent Rajkumar from the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Rajkumar presented his opinions about upfront therapy for myeloma during an education session at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). During his presentation, he reviewed the induction treatment options for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients and discussed his opinions of the various options.
Induction therapy refers to the initial treatment given to newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients to combat their cancer.
According to …
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The results of a recent Phase 2 clinical trial comparing four Velcade-based combination therapies in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients show that a four-drug combination containing Velcade, Revlimid, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone led to similarly high response rates as the three-drug regimens, but resulted in a higher rate of side effects.
“We were hoping to see more activity at the same level of toxicity as the three-drug combination, but the result was similar efficacy at higher toxicity,” said Dr. Shaji Kumar of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and lead investigator of the …
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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).
