Lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and impaired renal function: PrE1003, a PrECOG study

Renal insufficiency is common in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and can often limit choice of therapy. Lenalidomide, a critical agent in the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma, is renally cleared., This phase I/II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide with dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and renal insufficiency. Three groups were treated, with creatinine clearance 30–60 cc/hr (group A), CrCl \u3c 30 not on dialysis (group B), and patients on dialysis (group C) at escalating doses of lenalidomide. A total of 63 patients were treated and no DLTs were observed in phase I. All three groups were able to escalate to full dose lenalidomide 25 mg daily 21/28 days, although due to reduced accrual the phase II component was not entirely completed for groups B and C. Adverse events were as expected, including anemia, diarrhea and fatigue. Ten patients experienced grade 3–4 pneumonia. Overall response rate was 54% across all groups. PFS was 7.5 months and OS was 19.7 months. Lenalidomide can be given at full dose 25 mg daily 21/28 in patients with a CrCl \u3e 30, and can be given daily to those with CrCl \u3c 30, even when on dialysis, at doses of at least 15 mg daily

Phase III clinical trial of thalidomide plus dexamethasone compared with dexamethasone alone in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: a clinical trial coordinated by the eastern cooperative oncology group

A B S T R A C T Purpose To determine if thalidomide plus dexamethasone yields superior response rates compared with dexamethasone alone as induction therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Patients and Methods Patients were randomly assigned to receive thalidomide plus dexamethasone or dexamethasone alone. Patients in arm A received thalidomide 200 mg orally for 4 weeks; dexamethasone was administered at a dose of 40 mg orally on days 1 to 4, 9 to 12, and 17 to 20. Cycles were repeated every 4 weeks. Patients in arm B received dexamethasone alone at the same schedule as in arm A. Results Two hundred seven patients were enrolled: 103 were randomly assigned to thalidomide plus dexamethasone and 104 were randomly assigned to dexamethasone alone; eight patients were ineligible. The response rate with thalidomide plus dexamethasone was significantly higher than with dexamethasone alone (63% v 41%, respectively; P ϭ .0017). The response rate allowing for use of serum monoclonal protein levels when a measurable urine monoclonal protein was unavailable at follow-up was 72% v 50%, respectively. The incidence rates of grade 3 or higher deep vein thrombosis (DVT), rash, bradycardia, neuropathy, and any grade 4 to 5 toxicity in the first 4 months were significantly higher with thalidomide plus dexamethasone compared with dexamethasone alone (45% v 21%, respectively; P Ͻ .001). DVT was more frequent in arm A than in arm B (17% v 3%); grade 3 or higher peripheral neuropathy was also more frequent (7% v 4%, respectively). Conclusion Thalidomide plus dexamethasone demonstrates significantly superior response rates in newly diagnosed myeloma compared with dexamethasone alone. However, this must be balanced against the greater toxicity seen with the combination

Deepening responses associated with improved progression-free survival with ixazomib versus placebo as posttransplant maintenance in multiple myeloma

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New drugs and novel mechanisms of action in multiple myeloma in 2013: a report from the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG)

Treatment in medical oncology is gradually shifting from the use of nonspecific chemotherapeutic agents toward an era of novel targeted therapy in which drugs and their combinations target specific aspects of the biology of tumor cells. Multiple myeloma (MM) has become one of the best examples in this regard, reflected in the identification of new pathogenic mechanisms, together with the development of novel drugs that are being explored from the preclinical setting to the early phases of clinical development. We review the biological rationale for the use of the most important new agents for treating MM and summarize their clinical activity in an increasingly busy field. First, we discuss data from already approved and active agents (including second- and third-generation proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory agents and alkylators). Next, we focus on agents with novel mechanisms of action, such as monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), cell cycle-specific drugs, deacetylase inhibitors, agents acting on the unfolded protein response, signaling transduction pathway inhibitors and kinase inhibitors. Among this plethora of new agents or mechanisms, some are specially promising: anti-CD38 MoAb, such as daratumumab, are the first antibodies with clinical activity as single agents in MM. Moreover, the kinesin spindle protein inhibitor Arry-520 is effective in monotherapy as well as in combination with dexamethasone in heavily pretreated patients. Immunotherapy against MM is also being explored, and probably the most attractive example of this approach is the combination of the anti-CS1 MoAb elotuzumab with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, which has produced exciting results in the relapsed/refractory setting.Peer Reviewe

A gene expression signature distinguishes innate response and resistance to proteasome inhibitors in multiple myeloma

Extensive interindividual variation in response to chemotherapy is a major stumbling block in achieving desirable efficacy in the treatment of cancers, including multiple myeloma (MM). In this study, our goal was to develop a gene expression signature that predicts response specific to proteasome inhibitor (PI) treatment in MM. Using a well-characterized panel of human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) representing the biological and genetic heterogeneity of MM, we created an in vitro chemosensitivity profile in response to treatment with the four PIs bortezomib, carfilzomib, ixazomib and oprozomib as single agents. Gene expression profiling was performed using next-generation high-throughput RNA-sequencing. Applying machine learning-based computational approaches including the supervised ensemble learning methods Random forest and Random survival forest, we identified a 42-gene expression signature that could not only distinguish good and poor PI response in the HMCL panel, but could also be successfully applied to four different clinical data sets on MM patients undergoing PI-based chemotherapy to distinguish between extraordinary (good and poor) outcomes. Our results demonstrate the use of in vitro modeling and machine learning-based approaches to establish predictive biomarkers of response and resistance to drugs that may serve to better direct myeloma patient treatment options

Recommendations for acquisition, interpretation and reporting of whole body low dose CT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a report of the IMWG Bone Working Group

Whole Body Low Dose CT (WBLDCT) has important advantages as a first-line imaging modality for bone disease assessment in patients with plasma cell disorders and has been included in the 2014 International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria for multiple myeloma (MM) definition. Nevertheless, standardization guidelines for the optimal use of WBLDCT in MM patients are still lacking, preventing its more widespread use, both in daily practice and clinical trials. The aim of this report by the Bone Group of the IMWG is to provide practical recommendations for the acquisition, interpretation and reporting of WBLDCT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders

A Phase 2 Study of Bortezomib in Relapsed, Refractory Myeloma

BACKGROUND Bortezomib, a boronic acid dipeptide, is a novel proteasome inhibitor that has been shown in preclinical and phase 1 studies to have antimyeloma activity. METHODS In this multicenter, open-label, nonrandomized, phase 2 trial, we enrolled 202 patients with relapsed myeloma that was refractory to the therapy they had received most recently. Patients received 1.3 mg of bortezomib per square meter of body-surface area twice weekly for 2 weeks, followed by 1 week without treatment, for up to eight cycles (24 weeks). In patients with a suboptimal response, oral dexamethasone (20 mg daily, on the day of and the day after bortezomib administration) was added to the regimen. The response was evaluated according to the criteria ofthe European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and confirmed by an independent review committee. RESULTS Of 193 patients who could be evaluated, 92 percent had been treated with three or more ofthe major classes of agents for myeloma, and in 91 percent, the myeloma was refractory to the therapy received most recently. The rate of response to bortezomib was 35 percent, and those with a response included 7 patients in whom myeloma protein became undetectable and 12 in whom myeloma protein was detectable only by immuno-fixation. The median overall survival was 16 months, with a median duration of response of 12 months. Grade 3 adverse events included thrombocytopenia (in 28 percent of patients), fatigue (in 12 percent), peripheral neuropathy (in 12 percent), and neutropenia (in 11 percent). Grade 4 events occurred in 14 percent of patients. CONCLUSIONS Bortezomib, a member of a new class of anticancer drugs, is active in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma that is refractory to conventional chemotherapy

Clinical predictors of long-term survival in newly diagnosed transplant eligible multiple myeloma - an IMWG Research Project

Purpose: multiple myeloma is considered an incurable hematologic cancer but a subset of patients can achieve long-term remissions and survival. The present study examines the clinical features of long-term survival as it correlates to depth of disease response. Patients & Methods: this was a multi-institutional, international, retrospective analysis of high-dose melphalan-autologous stem cell transplant (HDM-ASCT) eligible MM patients included in clinical trials. Clinical variable and survival data were collected from 7291 MM patients from Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, the Nordic Myeloma Study Group and the United States. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to assess progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Relative survival (RS) and statistical cure fractions (CF) were computed for all patients with available data. Results: achieving CR at 1 year was associated with superior PFS (median PFS 3.3 years vs. 2.6 years, p < 0.0001) as well as OS (median OS 8.5 years vs. 6.3 years, p < 0.0001). Clinical variables at diagnosis associated with 5-year survival and 10-year survival were compared with those associated with 2-year death. In multivariate analysis, age over 65 years (OR 1.87, p = 0.002), IgA Isotype (OR 1.53, p = 0.004), low albumin < 3.5 g/dL (OR = 1.36, p = 0.023), elevated beta 2 microglobulin ≥ 3.5 mg/dL (OR 1.86, p < 0.001), serum creatinine levels ≥ 2 mg/dL (OR 1.77, p = 0.005), hemoglobin levels < 10 g/dL (OR 1.55, p = 0.003), and platelet count < 150k/μL (OR 2.26, p < 0.001) appeared to be negatively associated with 10-year survival. The relative survival for the cohort was ~0.9, and the statistical cure fraction was 14.3%. Conclusions: these data identify CR as an important predictor of long-term survival for HDM-ASCT eligible MM patients. They also identify clinical variables reflective of higher disease burden as poor prognostic markers for long-term survival

International Myeloma Working Group recommendations for the treatment of multiple myeloma-related bone disease

El propósito del estudio fue crear un subgrupo dentro del Grupo Internacional de Trabajo sobre el Mieloma para desarrollar recomendaciones prácticas en el tratamiento de la enfermedad ósea relacionada con el mieloma múltiple (MM). Para ello, un panel interdisciplinario de expertos clínicos en MM y mieloma óseo desarrolló recomendaciones basadas en datos publicados hasta agosto de 2012. Se utilizó el consenso de expertos para proponer recomendaciones adicionales en si-tuaciones en las que no había suficientes datos publicados. Los niveles de evidencia y los gra-dos de las recomendaciones fueron asignados y aprobados por los miembros del panel. Las re-comendaciones fueron: 1) Se deben considerar los bifosfonatos (BP) en todos los pacientes con MM que reciben tratamiento antimieloma de primera línea, independientemente de la presencia de lesiones óseas osteolíticas en la radiografía convencional. Sin embargo, se desconoce si la PA ofrece alguna ventaja en pacientes sin enfermedad ósea evaluados por resonancia magnéti-ca o tomografía por emisión de positrones/tomografía computarizada. 2) Se recomienda el ácido zoledrónico (ZOL) o el pamidronato (PAM) por vía intravenosa (IV) para prevenir eventos relacio-nados con el esqueleto en pacientes con MM. Se prefiere el ZOL sobre el clodronato oral en pa-cientes recién diagnosticados con MM debido a sus posibles efectos antimieloma y beneficios para la supervivencia. 3) Los BP deben administrarse cada 3 a 4 semanas por vía intravenosa durante el tratamiento inicial. ZOL o PAM se deben continuar en pacientes con enfermedad acti-va y se deben reanudar después de la recaída de la enfermedad, si se suspende en pacientes que logran una respuesta completa o parcial muy buena. 4) Los BP son bien tolerados, pero se deben instituir estrategias preventivas para evitar la toxicidad renal o la osteonecrosis de la man-díbula. Se debe considerar la cifoplastia para las fracturas vertebrales sintomáticas por compre-sión. 5) La radioterapia de dosis baja se puede usar para paliar el dolor no controlado, la fractura patológica inminente o la compresión de la médula espinal. Se debe buscar una consulta ortopé-dica para fracturas de huesos largos, compresión de la médula espinal e inestabilidad de la co-lumna vertebral. Ramón García-Sanz fue un participante relevante en el consenso, representando al grupo espa-ñol GEM/PETHEMA. Se trata de la publicación de las discusiones de un grupo de consenso para establecer las recomendaciones del tratamiento de la enfermedad ósea en Mieloma Múltiple. To-dos los autores participaron con el mismo nivel de compromiso, bajo la coordinación del Dr. Ter-pos y el impulso del Dr. Roodman. Fue la principal referencia actual para el tratamiento de la enfermedad ósea en los pacientes con mieloma múltiple, utilizada por casi todos los especialistas de hematología a la hora de tratar pa-cientes con esta rara enfermedad.[EN]The aim of the International Myeloma Working Group was to develop practice recommendations for the management of multiple myeloma (MM) -related bone disease. An interdisciplinary panel of clinical experts on MM and myeloma bone disease developed recommendations based on published data through August 2012. Expert consensus was used to propose additional recommendations in situations where there were insufficient published data. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendations were assigned and approved by panel members. Bisphosphonates (BPs) should be considered in all patients with MM receiving first-line antimyeloma therapy, regardless of presence of osteolytic bone lesions on conventional radiography. However, it is unknown if BPs offer any advantage in patients with no bone disease assessed by magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Intravenous (IV) zoledronic acid (ZOL) or pamidronate (PAM) is recommended for preventing skeletal-related events in patients with MM. ZOL is preferred over oral clodronate in newly diagnosed patients with MM because of its potential antimyeloma effects and survival benefits. BPs should be administered every 3 to 4 weeks IV during initial therapy. ZOL or PAM should be continued in patients with active disease and should be resumed after disease relapse, if discontinued in patients achieving complete or very good partial response. BPs are well tolerated, but preventive strategies must be instituted to avoid renal toxicity or osteonecrosis of the jaw. Kyphoplasty should be considered for symptomatic vertebral compression fractures. Low-dose radiation therapy can be used for palliation of uncontrolled pain, impending pathologic fracture, or spinal cord compression. Orthopedic consultation should be sought for long-bone fractures, spinal cord compression, and vertebral column instability.International Myeloma Society International Myeloma Working GroupInternational Myeloma Working Grou