Celgene: combo therapy slows cancer progression
AP - Sun Dec 05, 3:49PM CST
NEW YORK (AP) — Celgene International Sàrl said a late-stage study of its cancer drug Revlimid and the chemotherapy mainstay dexamethasone revealed a combined therapy of the drugs slowed the progression of symptoms in patients with blood cancer.
The company said late Saturday the study observed patients with smoldering multiple myeloma, a slow-growing and rare form of cancer in plasma cells.
Patients were treated with the drugs for nine four-week cycles and then continued treatment with a lower dose of Revlimid until progression. The results showed an overall response rate of 75 percent. For the patients who completed the initial nine treatment cycles, the overall response rate was 91 percent.
After a follow-up (an average of 16 months later), 3 percent of patients had developed symptoms, while 18 percent of patients developed active myeloma in the observation arm. Eleven out of these 21 patients also developed bone lesions.
The average time to symptomatic myeloma was 25 months in patients in the observation arm and has not yet been reached for patients who received the combination of drugs.
About 7 percent of patients reported loss or lack of strength after the treatment. Others reported diarrhea, infection, anaemia and skin rashes. The company said one patient discontinued treatment because of adverse events.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AI
