April 2017
Volume 3, Issue 5
This issue examines the art and science of myeloma drug sequencing, Mikkael Sekeres’ letter to the ABIM, highlights from the 16th International Myeloma Workshop, and more.
Table of Contents
April 2017
Letter From a Cleveland Jail to the ABIM: Patient Practicum
Dear American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM):
Writing to you, as usual, from behind the bars of emotional turmoil, political dissonance, and unresolved neuroses regarding...
April 2017
The ASH Bridge Grant Program, Announcing the 2017 TRTH Program Participants, and more
Apply for the ASH Bridge Grant Program
ASH is accepting applications for the Bridge Grant Program through May 1, 2017. The program was created to...
Fred Hutch Launches APOLLO Network for the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, University of Arizona to...
Fred Hutchinson Researchers to Assess Protein Assays for the Cancer Moonshot Initiative
As part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, the APOLLO (Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning...
April 2017
Order Matters: The Art and Science of Myeloma Drug Sequencing
Examining the who, what, when, where, and why of myeloma treatment
In 1844, Thomas Alexander Bean, one of the first documented patients with multiple myeloma...
April 2017
What are the prescribing options in the case of anticoagulation failure in deep vein...
This month, Joel S. Bennett, MD, discusses the possibility of novel oral anticoagulant failure in a patient with deep vein thrombosis.
And don't forget to...
Research by Design
Educating young scientists to design successful research projects often comes down to teaching them the right questions to ask.
A high-quality educational research project begins...
April 2017
Third Patient Death Reported in SL-401 Drug Trial for Patients With BPDCN and AML
The manufacturers of SL-401, a targeted therapy directed at the interleukin-3 receptor CD123, reported a third patient death in the ongoing phase II trial...
FDA Revisits Off-Label Communication in Draft Guidance for Medical Product Labeling
In response to requests from drug manufacturers that they be able to communicate supplementary data and information about a product’s “off-label” uses in promotional...
Start-Up Plans to Raise $1 Billion to Develop Liquid Biopsy to Detect Cancer
The biotechnology start-up Grail recently announced its plan to raise $1 billion in financing to create a liquid biopsy assay that could detect cancer...
FDA Grants Priority Review for Inotuzumab Ozogamicin for ALL
The FDA granted priority review for inotuzumab ozogamicin, an anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphocytic...
Report Finds Americans are Seeking Medications Abroad for Cheaper Prices
When purchased outside the country, many prescription medicines cost less than half of what they do in the United States, driving more Americans to...
Identifying Genetic Mutations That Can Predict Transplant Outcome in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Though allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) is the only curative option for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), transplant-related mortality, complication rates, and available, suitable donors preclude...
Efficacy of Eltrombopag in Patients With Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Thrombocytopenia
Platelet transfusions are commonly administered to patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who develop profound thrombocytopenia, but the short therapeutic effect and eventual transfusion refractoriness...
POT-KAST and POT-CAST: Questioning Routine Thromboprophylaxis After Casting or Knee Surgery
The value of prescribing thromboprophylaxis to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) after knee arthroscopy or casting of the lower leg is debatable, and the risk−benefit...
Can Pomalidomide Plus Dexamethasone “Rescue” Patients With Relapsed/ Refractory Amyloid Light-Chain Amyloidosis?
Patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis are often treated upfront with combinations of alkylating agents and bortezomib; when they don’t respond to this regimen...
Encouraging Trends in Six-Month Mortality in Amyloid Light-Chain Amyloidosis
With recent advances in diagnosis, treatment, and response assessment, clinicians have observed a significant decrease in six-month mortality (p<0.001) among patients with amyloid light-chain...
Can Podoplanin Explain the Connection Between Brain Tumors and Venous Thromboembolism?
Podoplanin, a sialomucin-like glycoprotein that can induce blood platelet activation, is frequently expressed by primary brain tumors. Its overexpression can contribute to a greater...
Targeted Chemotherapy Improves Renal Outcomes in Patients With Plasma Cell Dyscrasias and C3 Glomerulopathy
Patients with monoclonal gammopathies often face a spectrum of renal manifestations, including C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), which may be attributable to the presence of the...
April 2017
A Tale of Two Proteasome Inhibitors: Carfilzomib Versus Bortezomib in Multiple Myeloma
At the 16th International Myeloma Workshop (IMW), two clinical trials of patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (NDMM; RRMM) showed disparate results....
Denosumab Delays Skeletal-Related Events in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
Denosumab (a monoclonal antibody that targets the RANK ligand) was noninferior to zoledronic acid (ZA) in delaying the time to a first skeletal-related event...
The Multiple Myeloma Genome Project: Developing a Risk Stratification System for Multiple Myeloma
An update from the Multiple Myeloma Genome Project (MMGP), presented at the 16th International Myeloma Workshop (IMW), revealed several associations between the development of...
