Saturday, August 24, 2019

New combination therapy effective for multiple myeloma

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 24, 2019 – A new combination oral therapy has been shown to halt or reverse a type of cancer of the bone marrow, according to results of a small clinical trial.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the marrow cells that make plasma and help fight infections. When these cells become cancerous they grow out of control and crowd out functioning  immune system cells. The disease can damage the bones, immune system, kidneys, and red blood cell count.

The study involved patients with multiple myeloma that had failed other therapies and shows promise of offering another treatment option for these patients.The study results were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine

The STORM Part 2 Study, followed the responses of 122 patients treated with selinexor and dexamethasone, both oral drugs, in clinical trials at multiple centers in the United States and Europe. Early results showed that a quarter of patients responded to the therapy, meaning the cancer either stopped growing or as in the case of two patients was completely eradicated.

The new drug, called Selinexor, made by US-based Karyopharm Therapeutics works by blocking the export of proteins and the active form of DNA called messenger RNA from the nucleus of the cancer cell to the cytoplasm, causing the cancer cell to die. It received FDA approval in July 2019. The company funded the STORM trials.


Sources: Mt. Sinai Health System press release.

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