The U.S. Food and Drug Admin­istra­tion has approved a Phase 3 clin­i­cal trial eval­u­ating perifosine in re­lapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients. Perifosine, also known as KRX-0401, is an oral anti-cancer agent being devel­oped by Aeterna Zentaris and licensed in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by Keryx Bio­pharma­ceuticals.

The trial, entitled “A Phase 3 Randomized Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Perifosine Added to the Combination of Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Multiple Myeloma Patients Previously Treated with Bortezomib,” will eval­u­ate the safety and efficacy of perifosine, com­pared to placebo, when …

Kidney failure, which affects 20 percent of all multiple myeloma patients, is a serious complication that can lead to permanent kidney impairment and continued reliance on dialysis. However, a wide range of treatment options is available to myeloma patients experiencing kidney failure. Successful treatment methods include rehydration, correction of hypercalcemia (a condition that results in high serum calcium levels), and discontinuation of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin or ibuprofen), that reduce blood flow to the kidneys.

A common complication found in myeloma patients experiencing kidney failure is hypercalcemia, a disorder that …

Researchers have announced that current clinical treatment guidelines do not adequately incorporate quality of life considerations and are calling for increased attention to the “patient perspective” in myeloma treatment.. Presently, few studies have examined quality of life issues. For those that have, their results have often failed to have a meaningful effect on clinical decision-making.

A study in the European Journal of Haematology identified 15 high-quality clinical trials since 1990 that included quality of life as a principal focus. These studies examined the impact of various myeloma treatments and therapeutic interventions on …

The paired use of novel drug agents and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may not be as effective as formerly believed, according to the June issue of the journal Blood.

Treatment for multiple myeloma commonly integrates high dose therapy of novel drug agents with ASCT. However, an article printed in Blood shows that initial treatment with Revlimid (lenalidomide), one of the novel drug agents, corresponds with inhibition of stem cell mobilization and collection for ASCT.

The introduction of novel drug agents, including thalidomide (Thalomid), Revlimid, and Read the full story »