Activity of pomalidomide in patients with immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis

Immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare, incurable plasma cell disorder. Its therapy has benefited immensely from the expanding drug armamentarium available for multiple myeloma. Pomalidomide in combination with weekly dexamethasone (Pom/dex) is active among patients with relapsed myeloma. In the present study, we explored the Pom/dex combination in patients with previously treated AL. Patients were eligible for this prospective phase 2 trial if they had had at least one prior regimen and if they had reasonably preserved organ function. Patients were treated with oral Pom/dex. Thirty-three patients were enrolled. The median age was 66 years. Median time from diagnosis to on-study was 37 months. Eighty-two percent had cardiac involvement. The confirmed hematologic response rate was 48%, with a median time to response of 1.9 months. Organ improvement was documented in 5 patients. The median overall and progression-free survival rates were 28 and 14 months, respectively; the 1-year overall and progression-free survival rates were 76% and 59%, respectively. There was a discordance between the hematologic response and the N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide response. The most common grade 3-5 adverse events, regardless of attribution, were neutropenia and fatigue. We conclude that pomalidomide appears to be a valuable drug covering an unmet clinical need in patients with previously treated AL. The trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00558896. (Blood. 2012;119(23): 5397-5404

Application of Human Factors in the Development Process of Immersive Visual Technologies : Challenges and Future Improvements

This study investigates how Human Factors (HF) is applied when designing and developing Immersive Visual Technologies (IVT), including Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Virtual Reality. We interviewed fourteen people working at different organizations, that develop IVT applications in the Nordic region. We used thematic analysis to derive themes from the interviews. The results showed an insufficient knowledge and application of HF in IVT development, due to the lack of awareness of both scope and significance of HF, resource allocation strategy, market inertia, stakeholder's involvement, standardization of HF application and IVT uses, and technology maturity. This situation could be improved by allocating experts, adjusting organizational strategy to balance resource allocation, training developers and user organizations to raise awareness and to encourage co-creative design and knowledge sharing, create a sense of ownership amongst stakeholders, and ensure the usefulness of the technology to the user's work.Immersive Visual Technologies for Safety-critical Applications (ImmerSAFE

Application of Human Factors in the Development Process of Immersive Visual Technologies: Challenges and Future Improvements

This study investigates how Human Factors (HF) is applied when designing and developing Immersive Visual Technologies (IVT), including Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Virtual Reality. We interviewed fourteen people working at different organizations, that develop IVT applications in the Nordic region. We used thematic analysis to derive themes from the interviews. The results showed an insufficient knowledge and application of HF in IVT development, due to the lack of awareness of both scope and significance of HF, resource allocation strategy, market inertia, stakeholder's involvement, standardization of HF application and IVT uses, and technology maturity. This situation could be improved by allocating experts, adjusting organizational strategy to balance resource allocation, training developers and user organizations to raise awareness and to encourage co-creative design and knowledge sharing, create a sense of ownership amongst stakeholders, and ensure the usefulness of the technology to the user's work

A phase 2 study of vorinostat in acute myeloid leukemia

The therapeutic potential of histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as vorinostat, in acute myeloid leukemia has raised considerable interest. Here the authors describe outcomes with two different schedules of this drug in patients with "poor-prognosis" or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia

Activity of pomalidomide in patients with immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis

Immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare, incurable plasma cell disorder. Its therapy has benefited immensely from the expanding drug armamentarium available for multiple myeloma. Pomalidomide in combination with weekly dexamethasone (Pom/dex) is active among patients with relapsed myeloma. In the present study, we explored the Pom/dex combination in patients with previously treated AL. Patients were eligible for this prospective phase 2 trial if they had had at least one prior regimen and if they had reasonably preserved organ function. Patients were treated with oral Pom/dex. Thirty-three patients were enrolled. The median age was 66 years. Median time from diagnosis to on-study was 37 months. Eighty-two percent had cardiac involvement. The confirmed hematologic response rate was 48%, with a median time to response of 1.9 months. Organ improvement was documented in 5 patients. The median overall and progression-free survival rates were 28 and 14 months, respectively; the 1-year overall and progression-free survival rates were 76% and 59%, respectively. There was a discordance between the hematologic response and the N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide response. The most common grade 3-5 adverse events, regardless of attribution, were neutropenia and fatigue. We conclude that pomalidomide appears to be a valuable drug covering an unmet clinical need in patients with previously treated AL. The trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00558896. (Blood. 2012;119(23): 5397-5404