Multiple Myeloma Information

Velcade®, Cytoxan® and Prednisone Highly Effective for Relapsed Myeloma (10/15/2008)
Researchers from Canada have reported that the combination of Velcade (bortezomib) plus oral Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) and prednisone produces complete responses in 50% of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The details of this study appeared in the October 10, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Zometa® Decreases Skeletal-related Events but Does Not Improve Time to Progression in Patients with Asymptomatic Untreated Myeloma (9/25/2008)
Researchers from Italy have reported that the administration of Zometa® (zoledronic acid) decreases skeletal-related events in patients with untreated asymptomatic multiple myeloma but does not improve time to progression. The details of this study appeared in the October 1, 2008 issue of Cancer.

Thalomid® in Induction Improves Progression-free Survival in Elderly with Myeloma (9/11/2008)
An Italian multicenter randomized trial has determined that elderly patients with multiple myeloma treated with Thalomid® (thalidomide) in addition to melphalan and prednisone (MP) have an improved response rate and delayed time to relapse but not an improved survival compared with patients receiving MP alone. The details of this study were originally published in the March 11, 2006, issue of The Lancet and updated in an early online publication in Blood on April 1, 2008.

Velcade®, Melphalan, and Prednisone Improves Survival of Patients with Multiple Myeloma Not Eligible for Transplant (9/3/2008)
Researchers affiliated with the VISTA international study have reported that VMP (Velcade® [bortezomib], melphalan, and prednisone) improves survival of patients with multiple myeloma who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation compared with the classic MP (melphalan and prednisone) regimen. The details of this randomized study were presented at the 2007 meeting of the American Society of Hematology in December in Atlanta, Georgia, and have now been published in the August 28, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Long-term Effects of Thalomid® for Treatment of Myeloma Reported (7/30/2008)
Three recent publications in Blood have confirmed that Thalomid® (thalidomide) is an important addition to treatment regimens for patients with multiple myeloma.