Web Exclusives

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for 10% to 15% of all hematologic malignancies, and is the cause of 20% of the deaths that result from blood and bone cancers. Read More ›

Novel therapies for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) continue to show improved outcomes for a population that as little as 8 years ago had few options. Read More ›

Most of the illnesses that are encountered in medicine are incurable. Diabetes and heart disease are 2 of the common, chronic, and incurable health conditions that require diligent monitoring. Read More ›

The past decade has given us several breakthrough treatment options for a complex and serious malignancy, multiple myeloma (MM). Read More ›

Carfilzomib (Kyprolis, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, South San Francisco, CA) is a proteasome inhibitor that recently received accelerated FDA approval as single-agent treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM),¹ as well as designation as a “Preferred Regimen” for salvage therapy according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines.² Carfilzomib differs structurally and mechanistically from bortezomib; it functions by irreversibly inhibiting chymotrypsin-like activity of the constitutive proteasome and the immunoproteasome and offers a novel treatment option for patients with advanced MM.³

Read More ›

The recent FDA approval of single-agent carfilzomib (Kyprolis) adds to the armamentarium of agents for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Carfilzomib was approved based on an open-label, single-arm study of single-agent carfilzomib after the failure of at least 2 previous therapies. Within the inclusion criteria, the subjects were required to have failed bortezomib. Although bortezomib and carfilz­omib are both proteasome inhibitors, carfilzomib selectively and irreversibly binds to its target, which results in sustained proteasome inhibition that is absent of off-target effects relative to bortezomib.^1,2 Read More ›

Carfilzomib (Kyprolis, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc, South San Francisco, CA) is a selective proteasome inhibitor that irreversibly binds to active sites within the proteolytic core of the 26S proteasome, resulting in inhibition of proteasome activity. Preclinical studies have shown carfilzomib inhibits tumor growth and promotes tumor cell death, with sustained proteasome inhibition for more than 48 hours when using a consecutive-day dosing regimen.^1-4

Read More ›

ES has received 5 prior lines of therapy, with progression of disease documented on her most recent therapy with a rise in SPEP from 1.3 to 2.2 g/dL and in UPEP from 556 to 1342 mg/24 hours. The current clinical considerations include anemia, renal insufficiency, and PN grade 1 with pain.

Read More ›

In the July issue, we published an article exploring the efforts to deal with the drug shortage issue. We asked our online reading community if they thought these regulatory and legislative actions would be effective.

• 38% said they thought the recent actions would help resolve the issue
• 62% indicated they were not confident that recent actions would be effective

Here’s a sample of the comments:

Read More ›

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the United States.1,2 Approximately 21,700 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States during 2012 and 10,710 patients will die from this disease. Read More ›