What Is the Best Approach for Patients with Smoldering Myeloma?

The recent publication of the ECOG trial evaluating lenalidomide (Revlimid) treatment versus observation for patients with smoldering myeloma has prompted considerable discussion about the current recommendations for treatment. That discussion has largely been triggered by the study’s closing summary, which indicates that the data “support early therapy [with lenalidomide] as a standard of care in high-risk SMM (HR-SMM).”

Next-Generation Technologies Show Great Promise

At the last two International Myeloma Working Group Summits, two new technologies were featured: 1) CRISPR gene editing, in 2018 and 2) Deep Learning/Artificial Intelligence, in 2019. Recent news reports tell us that improvements in these technologies can really enhance applications to cure diseases, including myeloma.

13th Annual IMF Comedy Celebration Fuels Myeloma Research

On Thursday, October 17th, IMF president Susie Durie and I will have the great pleasure once again of welcoming our guests to the 13th Annual Comedy Celebration benefiting the Peter Boyle Research Fund.  

Recharging Resilience on Vacation and Finding Earth’s Home in the Universe

While on vacation for 2019, I am recharging my resilience for the coming months. I have a photo to share with the myeloma patients who created the “Wall of Resilience,” a collage of inspirational images displayed this summer at the IMF’s annual Support Group Leaders Summit. Like many of these patients, I too draw strength from the natural beauty in the world that persists, despite threats from all sides.

New Drug Combinations Show Promising Results, an Orphan Drug Designation, and the FDA Speeds International Approvals

The phase III CANDOR clinical trial has met its primary endpoint, according to a Sept. 13 announcement by Amgen. The endpoint was improved progression-free survival (PFS), which was 15.8 months for the doublet of Kyprolis+dexamethasone versus the triplet of Kyprolis+Darzalex+dexamethasone (D-Kd), for which the PFS was not yet reached. This represented a 37% reduction in risk of relapse or death in this population of patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma.

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