Pomalidomide was one of the potential new myeloma treatments in the spotlight at the 2011 meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) held earlier this month.

The consensus is that the drug, a chemical relative of thalidomide and Revlimid, performed well during its time on the stage.

Research findings about pomalidomide were summarized in four of the meeting’s oral presentations and a number of poster presentations.

Most of these presentations examined pomalidomide’s efficacy and safety as a potential treatment…

A new study by Spanish researchers sheds light on the role of stem cell transplantation in the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The study focuses on newly diagnosed patients who, in a clinical trial, did not respond to initial rounds of chemotherapy to treat their disease.

It finds that, among these non-responding patients, the ones who had stable disease after their initial round of chemotherapy responded well to stem cell transplantation.

In contrast, the patients whose disease not only…

A group of French myeloma specialists recently published a review of treatment strategies for multiple myeloma patients who have relapsed or become resistant to previous therapies.

This Beacon article, the first in a two-part series, summarizes the review’s perspectives on the use of novel agents in the treatment of relapsed and refractory myeloma.  

A second Beacon article will look at the review’s insights into issues that need to be considered when choosing among relapse treatment options.

The authors of…

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 —…

The results of a recent French analysis indicate that the cancer drug Treanda, in combination with prednisone or dexamethasone, may be effective in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients.

Based on their findings, the French researchers recommended that Treanda (bendamustine) be considered as a treatment option for patients with advanced multiple myeloma.

Treanda is an alkylating agent, which causes cancer cell death by damaging the cancer cells’ DNA.  The drug, which was originally developed in East Germany in the 1960s,…