Joana Fernandes, PhD,  —

NantKwest’s Vax-DC/MM cell therapy has induced a partial or complete response in 42 percent of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) and lymphoma patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT02248402). The findings showed no evidence of severe adverse events. Results of this work were published under the title “…

Dragonfly Therapeutics and Celgene have teamed up to develop therapies for multiple myeloma and other blood cancers. The partners will use Dragonfly’s TriNKET immunotherapy platform, which is based on Natural Killer (NK) cells. Under the agreement, Dragonfly will receive $33 million up-front to develop blood-cancer treatments, while Celgene will obtain…

Genmab announced that its partner Janssen Biotech will launch three novel studies to investigate the effect of Darzalex (daratumumab) in patients with multiple myeloma. The Danish company says its agreement grants Janssen — based in Titusville, New Jersey — authorization to exclusively develop, produce and market Darzalex. The studies,…

Switzerland’s Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) has awarded PharmaMar’s Aplidin orphan drug status to treat patients with multiple myeloma, following a similar designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This decision was also supported by data regarding the drug’s efficacy, safety and quality, and well as the prevalence of multiple…

Combination treatment with Velcade (bortezomib) and Thalomid (thalidomide) may significantly improve survival of multiple myeloma patients who received a stem cell transplant, according to recent results of a Phase 3 trial. The study, “Bortezomib And Thalidomide Maintenance After Stem-Cell Transplantation For Multiple Myeloma: A PETHEMA/GEM trial,” was published in…

Early treatment with a combination of anti-cancer drugs in patients with smoldering myeloma, who are at high risk of developing multiple myeloma, may avoid disease progression to its full-blown state, according to the interim results of a Phase 2 clinical trial. The data was presented recently by researchers from the…

Genentech will present results on several approved or investigational therapies for blood cancers, including lymphoma and myeloma, in the upcoming 58th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in San Diego, Dec. 3-6. Results, which include data for Gazyva (obinutuzumab), Rituxan (rituximab), Venclexta (venetoclax) and emicizumab, will be…

Understanding how multiple myeloma develops and responds to therapies may be easier using a new mouse model developed at Yale University School of Medicine. The model supports the growth of cells derived from patients with multiple myeloma or the disease’s precursor states. The study, “Microenvironment-Dependent Growth Of Preneoplastic And Malignant Plasma…

PharmaMar has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the use of Aplidin (plitidepsin) in combination with Decadron (dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients. The EMA’s decision is expected by the second half of 2017. The application was supported by…

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center  are collaborating to launch a new clinical trial studying minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. The trial, titled “Carfilzomib, Lenalidomide, Dexamethasone in Newly-Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: A Translational MRD Study,” is expected to…