(August 27, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Those newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation could benefit from adding the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib to standard therapy, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here are some facts regarding the use of bortezomib in multiple myeloma:

•    For patients with myeloma refractory to or relapsing within one year of the conclusion of initial or subsequent treatment who are candidates for further chemotherapy, bortezomib is the preferred treatment option.

•    Bortezomib is a reasonable option for patients relapsing at least one year after autologous stem cell transplantation.

•    For patients relapsing at least one year after the conclusion of alkylating agent-based chemotherapy who are candidates for further chemotherapy, further treatment with alkylating agent-based chemotherapy is recommended.

Researchers from Salamanca University Hospital treated 682 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with nine 6-week cycles of melphalan and prednisone. Half the patients were also randomly selected to receive bortezomib.

With the addition of bortezomib, time to progression increased from 16.6 months to 24 months. Partial response rate increased from 35% to 71%, and complete response rate increased from 4% to 30%. After a median follow-up of 16.3 months, the hazard ratio for overall survival was 0.61 for those on bortezomib.

Today's research demonstrates the clinical benefits of adding bortezomib to standard therapy for patients with multiple myeloma who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.