The FDA has now lifted the partial hold on the Phase III CANOVA multiple myeloma trial using venetoclax with pomalidomide and dexamethasone. Venetoclax is a BCL-2 inhibitor that is being jointly developed between AbbVie and Roche. The hold was lifted after additional risk mitigation procedures and the implementation of new guidelines.  Certain myeloma venetoclax studies[...]

Carfilzomib is a next generation proteasome inhibitor that is being regularly used in the myeloma clinic. It is now being used frequently as part of induction therapy and is favored for patients with high risk myeloma. One side effect in approximately 4% of myeloma patients can include heart issues. A recent Japanese study published in[...]

Venetoclax is the first drug that was determined to work for a specific type of genetic feature found in multiple myeloma patients called the 11;14 translocation. This means that part of chromosome 11 has swapped places with parts of chromosome 14 on the myeloma cells. This is the most common translocation found in myeloma patients[...]

Dr. Jens Hillengass, Chief of Myeloma at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY), led the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) to organize new guidelines for imaging techniques to be more accurate when diagnosing myeloma patients, as well as other plasma-cell disorders.  New treatment and drug strategies are significantly improving each year. These guidelines are[...]

Selinexor is a drug that is being evaluated for early approval in multiple myeloma for highly relapsed or refractory patients. Dr. Paul Richardson joined the Myeloma Crowd at ASCO to share recent updates on their progress.   Patients in the study had myeloma that was resistant to immunomodulatory agents, proteasome inhibitors, and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies (also[...]

Saad Usmani, MD of the Levine Cancer Institute shared results from the recent ASCO 2019 conference about the use of subcutaneous daratumumab, or dara given as a shot under the skin (usually in the stomach). Today, the first infusion of IV daratumumab is given over a multi-hour period and sometimes has to be administered over[...]

A new study aimed to highlight the relationship between socioeconomic disparities and treatment outcomes. Results showed that higher incomes and private insurance are associated with a significantly greater probability of survival for myeloma patients. “After a median of 30 months on treatment, patients that lived in areas with a median regional annual income ≥$46,000 experienced a 16%[...]

Isatuximab is a new monoclonal antibody targeting CD38 that has been progressing through clinical trials in order to receive FDA approval. Dr. Paul Richardson joined the Myeloma Crowd at the recent ASCO 2019 conference to share the presented results from the Phase III  ICARIA-MM trial.   According to Dr. Richardson, although this new drug targets[...]

AMG0-420 is a new bi-specific antibody that is being tested in Phase I clinical trials. It is a small molecule that binds CD3 on T cells with a common target found on all myeloma cells called BCMA. By binding the two together, the T cell is forced to kill the myeloma cell.  While CAR T[...]

For many years, researchers didn’t know how the immunomodulator (IMiD) drugs like lenalidomide and pomalidomide worked to impact myeloma. In the last 10 years, it has become more clear that the intracellular molecule called celebron is part of the reason the IMiD drugs are effective. At the recent ASCO 2019 meeting, Sagar Lonial, MD of[...]