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[ by and | Feb 8, 2012 1:28 pm | No Comment ]
Perifosine Combination May Be Effective In Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (ASH 2011)

The final results of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial indicate that perifosine in combi­nation with Velcade and dexamethasone may be effective in mul­ti­ple myeloma patients who previously relapsed from or were treatment-resistant to Velcade.

Dr. Philip McCarthy from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, who was not involved in the study, described perifosine’s activity as reasonable.

“This combination had activity with an overall response rate (complete response, near complete response, partial response, and minor re­sponse) of 41 percent which is quite reasonable in this heavily pre­treated population,”…

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[ by | Dec 20, 2011 4:04 pm | No Comment ]
ASH 2011 Multiple Myeloma Update – Day Three Afternoon: Other New Therapies

As the third day of the 2011 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting came to an end, attendees could look back on an agenda that featured presentations about a wide range of potential new myeloma therapies.

The afternoon myeloma sessions were focused, in fact, on potential new therapies.

The Beacon’s previous ASH 2011 update covered the afternoon presentations about carfilzomib and pomalidomide, two potential myeloma therapies that are in the late stages of development.

This update covers the afternoon’s presentations about four other potential new myeloma therapies —…

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[ by | Oct 26, 2011 3:37 pm | 3 Comments ]

Perifosine Combination Therapy May Be An Effective Treatment Option For Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma – Recently published results from a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial demonstrate that the addition of perifosine to a Velcade (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (Decadron) regimen is effective and safe in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients.   The results were previously presented at the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) 51st Annual Meeting in 2009.  The novel combination showed promising response rates in heavily pretreated patients, particularly those relapsed or refractory to Velcade treatment. Additionally, the treatment regimen resulted in few side effects. A Phase 3 clinical trial comparing a perifosine and Velcade plus dexamethasone regimen to Velcade and dexamethasone in relaspsed/refractory patients is currently underway.  For a more detailed summary of the results, please see the Beacon’s coverage of the ASH presentation or the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology  (abstract).

Preclinical Study Shows Tysabri Decreases Multiple Myeloma Cell Growth – Results of a recent preclinical study showed that the drug Tysabri (natalizumab) inhibited growth of multiple myeloma cells and sensitized myeloma cells to Velcade. Tysabri is currently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Based on these results, the study authors suggested clinical studies for the evaluation of Tysabri in combination with novel agents such as Velcade. For more information, please see the article in the British Journal of Haematology (abstract).

Enrollment For Masitinib Clinical Trial Begins – The pharmaceutical company AB Science has started recruiting multiple myeloma patients for a Phase 3 trial of its investigational drug masitinib. Masitinib works by impairing several factors required for growth in tumor cells and has already shown promise in clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.  The current trial is designed to study the efficacy and safety of masitinib in combination with Velcade and dexamethasone in relapsed multiple myeloma patients who have received one previous therapy.  Nearly 300 patients will be enrolled across 75 national and international centers.  Masitinib, sold in the U.S. under the brand name Kinavet, already has a conditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for certain skin tumors in dogs.  For more information on patient enrollment for the masitinib myeloma clinical trial, please see the AB Science press release.

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[ by and | Oct 19, 2011 12:55 pm | 11 Comments ]
Experts Review Current And Future Research Into New Multiple Myeloma Treatments

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 — it seems an appropriate time to go back to the…

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[ by | Apr 15, 2011 10:04 am | 15 Comments ]
Promising New Drugs For Myeloma: Will The Future Come Soon Enough?

Each year at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology we hear about dozens of new drugs that are able to annihilate multiple myeloma cells in the test tube and in animal models. Unfortunately, at the same meeting, we also sit through presentations and walk by posters of drugs that looked hot in the laboratory but then fail to work when given to real patients with myeloma.

This is not new. It has been the story with myeloma for ages. The myeloma cells are smart and are seemingly…

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