Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Combining the proteasome inhibitor Kyprolis (carfilzomib) with dexamethasone is beneficial for adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) determined. The SMC advises the Scottish National Health Service (NHS) boards…

Myeloma patients who received a single dose of the investigational therapy CLR 131 in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial have reached a median overall survival of 22 months, according to the drug’s developer, Cellectar Biosciences. Cellectar is a clinical stage biotech developing phospholipid-drug conjugates (PDCs) for use in anti-cancer therapies.

Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who use Revlimid (lenalidomide) as a maintenance therapy after a stem cell transplant live significantly longer than those receiving a placebo or nothing, a meta-analysis shows. The research deals with autologous stem cells, or those taken from a patient’s own body. Scientists refer to such transplants as ASCTs.

Merck has suspended patient enrollment in two Phase 3 clinical trials, KEYNOTE-183 and KEYNOTE-185, testing Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with other therapies in patients with multiple myeloma, due to unexplained deaths in study participants taking the company’s anti-PD-1 therapy. Patients already enrolled and under treatment will continue receiving the…

Many patients with blood cancers, such as myeloma, go into remission after receiving a stem-cell transplant. However, there are still many patients (about one-third) who relapse, a condition usually associated with a poor prognosis. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers tested the effects of a new treatment approach using repeated doses of the immunotherapy drug Yervoy (ipilimumab), showing…

Results from a clinical trial support the use of a specific combination drug induction therapy over another three-drug treatment in multiple myeloma patients who are eligible for transplants. The study indicates the combination of bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone (VTD) is a better induction therapy than bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (VCD). VCD was less efficient and was associated…

Results from an ongoing clinical trial supports the use of upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) to treat multiple myeloma patients age 65 or younger. The findings, in a report titled “Upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) versus novel agent-based therapy for multiple myeloma (MM): A randomized phase 3 study of…