Multiple Myeloma Continues to Pose Management Challenges

Multiple myeloma, an incurable blood disease that starts in the bone marrow and can be a relatively rare cancer, has an array of products available to treat it, and new agents — including the first gene therapy for the disease — continue to gain FDA approval. However, as the therapies are different types of drugs, management of the space can be challenging.

Winston Wong, Pharm.D., president of W-Squared Group, points out that about 20 therapies are available to treat multiple myeloma. As of April, the National Institutes of Health listed more than 200 clinical trials, many for gene therapies, he adds. “Thus, the already crowded and complicated field of treatment options is only going to get more crowded,” he tells AIS Health, a division of MMIT.

“The evolution of multiple myeloma treatments reflects our greater understanding of the various pathways that mediate the disease,” he explains. “While induction regimens have remained rather consistent over the years, the majority of the recently approved treatment options are in the maintenance and resistant/relapsing stages of treatment.”

0

0

0 Comments

0

0

• Radar on Specialty Pharmacy