Research Updates
June, 2018
2018 ASCO Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting brings together more than 32,000 oncology professionals from around the world to discuss the highlights of the latest cancer care treatments, new therapies, and ongoing controversies in the field, via informative and scientific sessions.
Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer from the International Myeloma Foundation, presents in the following video an overview of the top multiple myeloma research updates presented at ASCO 2018.
May, 2018
Ground-breaking Canadian Research: Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Transplant in Multiple Myeloma
On May 8, a myeloma research news article on umbilical cord stem cell transplant in multiple myeloma was featured in Montreal-based newspaper “La Presse Plus”. A great review showcasing the work of Dr Jean Roy from Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, and Principal Investigator of the innovative clinical trial “ECT-001 (UM171) Expanded Cord Blood Transplant to Treat High-risk Multiple Myeloma”, Dr Guy Sauvageau from Université de Montréal. The molecule, discovered by Dr Sauvageau, has successfully increased the number of stem cells contained in the umbilical cord by 30 to 50 times, making umbilical cord stem cell transplants a new treatment possibility for adults living with myeloma. This breakthrough provides with us hope for a higher success rate for patients receiving a third-party donor stem cell transplant (allogeneic stem cell transplant). Currently, there are 10 patients participating in this study,
Kudos to the team of Canadian researchers at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital (an important partner of the Université de Montréal Myeloma Canada Chair on multiple myeloma), for making their mark on the international myeloma treatment landscape and for making waves in improving patient outcomes.
Read full article (in French)
September, 2017
Congratulations to the Recipient of the Jointly Funded 2017 Myeloma Canada and Canadian Research Society Research Grant
By analyzing protein from drug-sensitive and drug-resistant myeloma cells, Dr. Chang and his team have discovered a novel protein called pMARCKS (phosphorylated myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate) that is highly expressed in drug-resistant myeloma cells.
August, 2017
A Second Phase III Study Shows That Carfilzomib (Kyprolis®) Significantly Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
On July 12, 2017, a press release was issued by Amgen regarding the final overall survival (OS) analysis from the ASPIRE clinical trial evaluating the KRd regimen of carfilzomib (Kyprolis®) in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid®) and dexamethasone in relapsed myeloma patients. The ASPIRE study demonstrated a significant improvement in the key secondary endpoint of OS. The endpoint of a clinical trial is the goal of the trial; what a trial is trying to measure or find out. Typical endpoints include measurements of toxicity, response rate, and OS.
Results for the study will be presented at a major medical meeting later this year.