Alice Melão,  —

Pretreating multiple myeloma patients with Ethyol (amifostine) prior to a stem cell transplant significantly reduces the transplant therapy’s gastrointestinal toxicity without compromising its efficacy, a new study shows. The study, “Amifostine reduces gastro-intestinal toxicity after autologous transplantation for multiple myeloma,” was published in the journal Leukemia &…

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Karyopharm Therapeutics are hoping that 2018 will be as momentous a year as 2017 in their collaborative effort to develop a new treatment for multiple myeloma and other cancers. Last year’s milestones included the therapy, selinexor, advancing to Phase 2 clinical trials; Ono Pharmaceutical obtaining…

Multiple myeloma patients who received several prior lines of therapy showed promising response rates when treated with a combination of Karyopharm Therapeutics‘ selinexor and dexamethasone, a Phase 1 trial showed. While only 4% of patients receiving selinexor treatment alone achieved a partial response, combining selinexor – at a 45…

A single injection of a new drug combination leads to faster and more effective harvesting of blood stem cells from bone marrow donors, a new mouse study shows. The method, developed by Indiana University School of Medicine scientists, could make the donation process easier for patients, increasing the amount…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to extend Xgeva‘s (denosumab) approval to include patients with multiple myeloma who have bone lesions. The drug, meant to prevent fractures, spinal cord compression, or the need for radiation or surgery in bones, was already indicated for patients with bone metastases…

A preclinical study has shown that a new dual-targeting APRIL CAR T-cell therapy appears to be better at eliminating multiple myeloma cells than conventional CAR T-cell therapies. The findings were reported in a study titled, “An APRIL based chimeric antigen receptor for dual targeting of BCMA and TACI in…

A recent update on Cellectar Biosciences’ Phase 1 trial revealed that heavily treated myeloma patients who received the lowest dose of CLR 131 survived for a median of 26.2 months. While the trial (NCT02278315) is still ongoing, and new updates might show an even higher overall survival, the treatment already…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to GlaxoSmithKline’s investigational therapy GSK2857916 for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. The designation is for patients who received at least three prior therapies, including an anti-CD38 antibody such as Darzalex (daratumumab), and who are…

Health Canada has approved Imbruvica (ibrutinib) for the treatment of patients with steroid dependent or refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), a life-threatening condition that affects some patients who undergo stem cell transplant. Following a priority review, the agency approved Imbruvica as an oral, once-daily treatment. The decision…

Cellectar Biosciences is expanding its Phase 1 dose-escalating trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of multiple administrations of CLR 131 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The trial’s fifth group of patients will receive two 15.625 mCl/m2 doses of CLR 131, one week apart. The combined dose…