Amgen Inc. said a combination regimen of its blood cancer drug Kyprolis and dexamethasone reduced the disease in certain blood cancer patients.
In a phase 3 trial, named A.R.R.O.W, the company was evaluating a once-weekly higher dose of the drug combination versus a twice-weekly lower dose in 478 multiple myeloma patients who did not respond to treatment or whose disease had returned.
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that forms in plasma cells — a type of white blood cell — that are responsible for producing antibodies. It is characterized by a recurring pattern of remission and relapse.
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Updated results from the study showed that Kyprolis given once weekly at 70 mg/m2 with dexamethasone reduced the disease in 62.9% of patients, compared to 40.8% of patients seeing an improvement in their disease when given a dose twice weekly at 27 mg/m2 with dexamethasone.
Previous results from the study showed that the once-weekly higher dose allowed patients to live longer while keeping the disease at bay compared to a twice-weekly lower dose — 11.2 months versus 7.6 months, respectively.
In addition, 7.1% of patients on the once-weekly treatment saw the disappearance of all signs of cancer — known as a complete remission. Meanwhile, only 1.7% of patients on the twice-weekly regimen saw a complete remission.
The overall safety profiles of the two groups were comparable and no new safety risks were identified in the group getting the once-weekly regimen.
Kyprolis is approved in the U.S. in combination with dexamethasone or with Celgene Corp.'s Revlimid plus dexamethasone to treat patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three lines of therapy. It is also approved as a standalone therapy to treat patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one or more lines of therapy.
The 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting is expected to bring together more than 32,000 professionals from all over the world, with more than 2,500 study abstracts to be presented on-site and an additional 3,350 abstracts to be published online.

