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C3B3 May Be Active Against Multiple Myeloma Cancer Stem Cells – Results of a preclinical study conducted in Japan indicate that the antibody C3B3 is active in SP cells. SP cells are a specific kind of myeloma cell that demonstrate cancer stem cell-like activity. Specifically, the Japanese researchers found that C3B3 caused SP cell death and suppressed tumor formation. According to the researchers, the results suggest that C3B3 may overcome the drug resistance of myeloma cancer stem cells. They believe that targeting cancer stem cells may be an important approach in working toward a cure for myeloma.  For more information, please see the study in Leukemia (abstract).

XBP1 May Be A New Therapeutic Target For Multiple Myeloma – Results of a recent preclinical study show that reducing the amount of the protein XBP1 in the stem cells of myeloma patients significantly decreases activity of these cells in myeloma cell growth . XBP1 is a protein found in myeloma cells and in stem cells of myeloma patients. Stem cells that carry XBP1 play an essential role in the support of myeloma cell growth and bone destruction. The study investigators believe these findings warrant further investigation of therapeutic targets against XBP1 for the treatment of myeloma-related bone disease.  For more information, please see the study in the journal Blood (abstract).

New Blood Cancer Center To Open At The University Of Cincinnati Cancer Institute – The University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute will be opening the new Hematological Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplantation center on September 3, 2012. Dr. Elias Anaissie, currently the deputy director of the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, will be the director of the new center and will lead the multiple myeloma program. According to Dr. Anaissie, “achieving best myeloma outcomes and maximizing long-term health-related quality of life … will be the overarching principles for the myeloma program.”  Dr. Anaissie added that the new center’s principles “will be implemented by individualizing treatment plans …  and partnering with patients to reach a plan based on a shared decision between patient and physician.”  The center’s website will be available soon.

MMRF Education Program – On March 31, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) will be hosting an education program for multiple myeloma patients and their families in San Francisco, CA. Myeloma specialists will present on topics including treatment advances and clinical trials. Dr. Jeffrey Wolf of the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center will chair the event. For more information or to register, please visit the MMRF website.

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

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Health Canada Approves Subcutaneous Velcade – Janssen, the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary that markets Velcade (bortezomib) outside of the United States, announced last week that Health Canada has approved the subcutaneous (under-the-skin) administration of Velcade for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Subcutaneous Velcade has been shown to be as effective as intravenous Velcade but is associated with fewer and less severe side effects. The Canadian approval follows the approval of subcutaneous Velcade in the U.S. in January (see related Beacon news). For more information, please see the Janssen press release.

Threshold Pharmaceuticals Begins Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Of TH-302 For Multiple Myeloma – Threshold Pharmaceuticals last week announced the start of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its investigational drug TH-302 for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of TH-302 alone or in combination with Velcade in myeloma patients who have received at least two prior lines of therapy. TH-302 is a drug that is activated under low oxygen level conditions, which are common in tumors and the bone marrow of people with blood cancers. It is currently also being investigated in a range of solid tumors. For more information about the study or enrollment, please see the Threshold press release or the clinical trial description.

MUC1-2-VNTR Vaccine May Be Active Against Myeloma – The results of a recent preclinical study demonstrate that the DNA vaccine MUC1-2-VNTR delays tumor growth and extends the survival time of mice with multiple myeloma. The vaccine produces an immune response that specifically targets tumors, showing promise as a potential treatment for myeloma. For more information, see the study in Oncology Reports (abstract).

Living With Myeloma Conference – On March 24, the Arizona Myeloma Network will be hosting a free, regional conference for myeloma patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Presentations by myeloma experts will address developments in myeloma research, treatment issues, and supportive care services. For more information or to register, please visit the Arizona Myeloma Network website.

IMF Patient And Family Seminar – The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) will be holding a seminar for multiple myeloma patients and their families on March 23 and 24 in Seattle, WA. Dr. Brian Durie from the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Bill Bensinger from the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and Dr. Keith Stewart from the Mayo Clinic Arizona will present on topics including treatment advances, managing side effects, and new clinical trials. For more information or to register, please visit the IMF website.

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

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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).

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Viracept Demonstrates Anti-Myeloma Activity – Results of a recent preclinical trial show that Viracept (nelfinavir), alone or in combination with other common myeloma drugs, prevents myeloma cell growth and causes cell death. Viracept is a protease inhibitor and is approved in the United States and Canada for the treatment of HIV.  Studies have suggested that protease inhibitors such as Viracept may be effective against cancer.  It is thought that they may work similarly to proteasome inhibitors like Velcade (bortezomib), In this preclinical study, Viracept enhanced the anti-cancer activity of myeloma drugs Velcade and dexamethasone (Decadron) as well as an anti-cancer compound called valproic acid.  Viracept also slowed tumor growth in mice with myeloma. For more information, see the study in Haematologica (pdf).

Study Helps Demonstrate How Green Tea Fights Myeloma – EGCG, an active compound in green tea, has previously been shown to have cancer preventative and cancer fighting properties.  However, little was known about the way EGCG works to fight cancer.  In this recent preclinical study, Japanese researchers showed that EGCG works by disrupting the outer membrane of myeloma cells, but not healthy cells, thereby selectively killing myeloma cells. For more information, please see the study in Biochemical Journal (pdf).  For information about green tea blocking the effectiveness of Velcade, see related Beacon news.

ACY-1215 In Combination With Velcade Shows Potential As Myeloma Treatment – The results of a recent preclinical study show that low doses of ACY-1215 in combination with Velcade kill multiple myeloma cells. ACY-1215, which is being developed by Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, belongs to a class of drugs called HDAC inhibitors. Zolinza (vorinostat) and panobinostat are also HDAC inhibitors that are being studied for the treatment of myeloma. The study showed that ACY-1215 in combination with Velcade slowed tumor growth and extended the overall survival of mice with myeloma. ACY-1215 is currently being studied in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in combination with Velcade and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. For more information or to enroll in the trial, please see the study in Blood (abstract) and the clinical trial description.

NVP-HSP990 May Be Active Against Myeloma – Results of a recent preclinical study show that NVP-HSP990, alone or in combination with other myeloma treatments, may be effective at treating multiple myeloma. NVP-HSP990, which is being developed by Novartis (NYSE: NVS), is a heat shock protein 90 inhibitor like tanespimycin, which was in Phase 3 trials for myeloma when its development was halted in 2010.  The recent study showed that NVP-HSP990 killed myeloma cells in the laboratory, and this activity was significantly enhanced in combination with melphalan (Alkeran).  For more information, see the study in Anticancer Research (abstract).

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Cardamonin Shows Anti-Myeloma Activity – Results of a recent Chinese preclinical study show that cardamonin, a compound derived from a plant used in Traditional Chinese medicine, prevents myeloma cells from growing and kills them. Cardamonin works by suppressing NF–κB, a protein that has been linked to cancer and disorders of the immune system. This study showed that cardamonin was effective after 24 hours of exposure. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that further investigation of cardamonin as an anti-myeloma agent is warranted. For more information, please see the study in Leukemia Research (abstract).

CR2408 Shows Potential As Anti-Myeloma Agent – The investigational drug CR2408 demonstrates potential as an anti-myeloma agent, according to a German preclinical study. CR2408 is a novel pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Other HDAC inhibitors that are being investigated for the treatment of multiple myeloma include Zolinza (vorinostat), panobinostat, and Istodax (romidepsin). The German researchers found that CR2408 works differently than previously explored HDAC inhibitors: it prevents cell growth and kills cells by causing DNA and cell fragmentation. In the laboratory, CR2408 was highly active at very low concentrations. It also had additive effects when combined with doxorubicin and Velcade (bortezomib). The researchers pointed out that further studies are needed to examine whether or not CR2408 differs from other HDAC inhibitors in terms of side effects. For more information, please see the study in the British Journal of Haematology (abstract).

BKM120 Shows Potential For Treating Myeloma – A recent preclinical study evaluating the therapeutic benefit of the investigational drug BKM120 in multiple myeloma suggests that the compound effectively halts growth of myeloma cells and kills them. BKM120 is already being investigated in Phase 1 clinical trials in solid breast, colon, ovarian, and endometrial tumors.  It is in the same class of drugs as perifosine, which is also being investigated for multiple myeloma. This study showed BKM120 had activity both as a single agent and in combination with dexamethasone (Decadron) in cells that respond to dexamethasone.  Additionally, the combination of both drugs at low doses effectively slowed the growth of myeloma and extended survival of mice with myeloma. For more information, please see the study in the Journal of Molecular Medicine (abstract).