For Immediate Release
February 8, 2005

New Drug Combination May Help Patients With Advanced Multiple Myeloma

BUFFALO, NY - Patients with advanced multiple myeloma may benefit from a new combination of chemotherapy drugs. The combination of bortezomib (Velcade), liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil) and thalidomide created a clinical response in 54 percent of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. These preliminary results presented in a poster at the American Society of Hematology are highlighted in the current issue of Oncology News International.

"This study sample is very small. This first study included 13 patients who actually all benefited from this therapy," said Asher Chanan-Khan, MD, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute. "Of the 13, two patients had a complete response, five had partial responses and the rest stabilized their disease progression."

All of the patients in this sample had Durie-Salmon stage III disease and had undergone several previous treatment regimens that may have included stem cell transplants, or at least two previous rounds of chemotherapy.

"We were very encouraged by these initial results and were pleased that the combination was tolerated well by our patients," continued Dr. Chanan-Khan. "We are currently enrolling patients into the next phase of this study."

For more information, please call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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