--Anticipate Survival Advantage with Long-Term Continuous Treatment--
--More Evidence Supporting Next-Generation Pipeline Drugs--
--Journalist Workshop to be Webcast May 5--
--Patient and Family Seminar in Paris May 6--
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), the oldest and largest foundation dedicated to improving the life and care of myeloma patients, today said the 13th Annual International Myeloma Workshop in Paris, May 3 – 6, will highlight continuing advancements in the treatment of multiple myeloma. These include new drugs and new ways of using existing drugs including long-term treatment. In recent years, with the use of novel therapies, survival has more than doubled, especially in younger patients with myeloma.
CONTINUOUS TREATMENT
New data now raise the possibility of increased overall survival with long-term continuous REVLIMID® treatment following stem cell transplant. The abstract from the CALGB study sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute says this regimen significantly improves time to disease progression and “appears to improve overall survival.” The abstract was made public in advance of the conference; final data will be presented on Thursday, May 5.
“We know patients who have been on REVLIMID since the first clinical trials began nearly ten years ago and they are still leading active lives,” said Brian G.M. Durie, M.D., IMF Chairman and co-founder. “This is important data that could confirm the benefits of a valuable treatment paradigm. We are still examining the issue of secondary cancers in a small number of cases, but overall survival would place the benefit/risk ratio solidly in favor of REVLIMID maintenance.”
Other abstracts prepared for the Workshop discuss maintenance therapy with VELCADE®, especially with reduced dosage to improve tolerability, or in the new formulation for subcutaneous injection. A study in a recent journal demonstrated that subcutaneous VELCADE offers equivalent efficacy to standard IV administration “with an improved safety profile.”
NEXT-GENERATION DRUGS
Pomalidomide, the newest drug in the IMiD® family, and carfilzomib, a next-generation proteasome inhibitor, are both moving closer to approval for patients who relapsed or don’t respond to current drugs. The Phase 2 pomalidomide data continues to mature demonstrating the best overall response rate to date, and accelerated filing strategies in the U.S. are under discussion. Onyx expects to file with the FDA for accelerated approval of carfilzomib as early as the middle of this year, also based on Phase 2 data.
“These patients are in desperate need of new options and the IMF supports expeditious approvals to meet this pressing need,” said Susie Novis, IMF President and co-founder.
JOURNALIST WORKSHOP
A news briefing on these and other developments with leading myeloma experts Dr. Durie, Dr. Kenneth Anderson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Prof. Mario Boccadoro of the University of Turin will be held Thursday, May 5th, at 5:30pm CET (11:30am EDT) and will be available by live Webcast at www.myeloma.org.
Real-time updates from the International Myeloma Workshop can be found on Twitter under the following hashtag: #IMW2011.
PATIENT and FAMILY SEMINAR
Immediately following the Workshop, patients and caregivers in France will be able to attend a free seminar where they can hear myeloma experts review and discuss the latest advances in treatment and research, and learn how it applies to them. Dr. Brian G.M. Durie and leading French myeloma experts: Profs. Philippe Moreau, Thierry Facon, and Jean-Paul Fermand will participate as faculty. The seminar will be held on Friday, May 6th – 13:00 – 17:00, at the Maison de l’Amerique Latine.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
The International Myeloma Foundation is the oldest and largest myeloma organization, reaching more than 195,000 members in 113 countries worldwide. A 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients and their families, the IMF focuses in four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. To date, the IMF has conducted more than 200 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned hotline, and operates Bank on a Cure®, a unique gene bank to advance myeloma research. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE. The global website is www.myeloma.org.
CONTACT:
MEDIA:
The International Myeloma Foundation
United States – Jennifer Anderson, +1 212 918 4642
or
At the conference – Stephen Gendel, +1 917 856 3915
KEYWORDS: United States Europe North America California France
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Pharmaceutical Research Other Science Science General Health
MEDIA:
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