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European researchers found that the addition of Doxil to Velcade significantly extends the time to disease progression in relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma patients, regardless of age, number of previous therapies, disease stage, and resistance to previous therapy.

However, the addition of Doxil increased the rate of side effects in all patients. Despite the increased rate of side effects, the researchers suggested that Velcade plus Doxil should be considered as an additional standard of care option for myeloma patients, especially those with high-risk disease.

In the last decade, the introduction…

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Newly diagnosed, high-risk multiple myeloma patients can be effectively treated with sequential therapy, according to the results of a recent Phase 2 study.  Participants in this study initially received a combination of Velcade, Doxil, and dexamethasone followed by a combination of thalidomide and dexamethasone, with the potential addition of Velcade to the second phase.

The study authors found that the sequential treatment provided rapid responses, which they said is crucial for patients with organ damage or those with advanced disease who need to quickly proceed to stem cell transplantation.

They…

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Dr. Ken Shain Joins The Beacon’s Medical Advisor Team – Dr. Ken Shain, an assistant professor of hematologic malignancies at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, has joined The Myeloma Beacon’s team of Medical Advisors.  Beacon Medical Advisors assist with answering medical questions posted in the Beacon’s multiple myeloma forums.  For more information about getting medical questions answered in the forums, please see these instructions.

Onyx And MMRF Offer Carfilzomib Expanded Access Program For Myeloma Patients – Onyx Pharmaceuticals and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced last week that they have created the Carfilzomib Myeloma Access Program (C-MAP), which will make carfilzomib available to relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients in the United States who do not have any treatment alternatives. Carfilzomib is currently being investigated as a treatment for multiple myeloma. The drug is not yet approved for use in the U.S.; however, under its expanded access program, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows ill patients who lack any other treatment options to try a promising drug that is still under development. For more information, please see the Onyx C-MAP website.

Janssen Launches Physician Access Program For Doxil – Janssen Products, the manufacturer of Doxil (doxorubicin liposomal), announced on Friday that, in response to a temporary shortage of Doxil, the company has established the Doxil C.A.R.E.S. Physician Access Program.  This program will allocate any newly available Doxil supply to physicians who are treating patients currently on the drug. The goal of the program is to ensure that patients currently on Doxil receive their medication.  Janssen announced manufacturing delays last month that resulted in a temporary shortage of the drug. Doxil is currently approved in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) for previously treated multiple myeloma patients. For more information, please see the Doxil website.

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J&J Announces Shortage Of Doxil – Johnson & Johnson announced manufacturing delays last week that will result in a temporary shortage of Doxil (doxorubicin liposomal), which is approved in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) for previously treated multiple myeloma patients.  The company is estimating that shipments of Doxil will resume in late August and asked physicians not to start any new patients on Doxil until then.  Last month, the company informed doctors about the potential shortage so physicians could discuss treatment options with their patients who might be affected by the shortage.  For more information, see the Johnson & Johnson announcement about the shortage.  Updates on the situation will be available on the Doxil website.

Children Raise $8.4 Million In Spare Change To Support LLS – Students across the United States recently raised $8.4 million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to fund research for blood cancers, including multiple myeloma, as well as provide services and support for blood cancer patients. The students put collection jars in their classrooms and collected spare change over a three-week period during this past school year.  The top fundraising class at each school received a pasta party from Olive Garden.  Over the past 17 years, this program has raised more than $61 million for the LLS.  For more information, see the Olive Garden press release.

Multiple Myeloma Educational Program – An educational program for multiple myeloma patients will be held on August 6 in Richmond, VA. A physician specializing in multiple myeloma will talk about treatment options for myeloma patients as well as answer attendee’s questions. A multiple myeloma patient will also speak about his experiences. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the program will start at 10 a.m. at the Westin Richmond. The event is sponsored by Millennium, the manufacturer of Velcade. For more information, see the Beacon event description or call 1-866-508-6181.

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

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Results of a recent Phase 2 study indicate that a steroid-free regimen of Velcade, Doxil, and thalidomide is effective in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.

“The most novel aspect [of the study] is that high response rates and effective disease control can be achieved without the use of [the corticosteroid] dexamethasone,” said Dr. Asher Chanan-Khan, one of the study’s investigators and a researcher at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.

“The development of such a regimen is critical as it can be used both in newly diagnosed…