Promising new myeloma drug goes to next stage of study
An international myeloma trial of a promising new drug, vorinostat, has been given the green light to continue by an independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board.
Vorinostat is one of the first in a new class of drugs, called histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. HDAC inhibitors block enzymes needed for cell division and growth, and are believed to be useful for killing cancer cells. At the same time, they help boost naturally-occurring molecules which fight cancer and make cancer cells more responsive to chemotherapy and other anti-cancer drugs.
Eric Low, Myeloma UK Chief Executive, said: “We welcome the news that the myeloma study is continuing. This is good news for the patient population in this study who have already tried many of the existing treatment options. The different mechanism of action of HDAC inhibitors offers exciting potential for treating myeloma and expanding the options available to patients and doctors in the future.”
This study is looking at the safety and efficacy of vorinostat in combination with Velcade™ (bortezomib) in myeloma. Myeloma patients participating in the study have relapsed from or are refractory to a number of previous treatments, including Velcade and either Thalidomide Pharmion™ or Revlimid™ (lenalidomide).
The recommendation by the Data Safety and Monitoring Board means that vorinostat combined with Velcade is safe to use and is effective in treating myeloma. Importantly, the continuation of this study provides access to a new treatment option for those patients who have exhausted all currently available treatments and also supports further research of vorinostat in future Phase III myeloma studies.
To find out more about how new treatments are developed and the different phases of clinical studies you can download the Myeloma Infoguide on Clinical Studies here.
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