Amgen to Present New Data on Kyprolis, a Multiple Myeloma Treatment, at EHA 2016
Amgen announced it will present new data on its cancer portfolio at the 21st Congress of the European Hematology (EHA) Association taking place next month in Copenhagen. The data will include recent evaluations of the drugs Blincyto (blinatumomab), Kyprolis (carfilzomib), Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) and Nplate (romiplostim) in treating a range of malignancies, such as multiple myeloma (MM), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
Kyprolis, being developed by the Amgen subsidiary Onyx Pharmaceuticals, has been shown to block proteasomes so as to cause an excessive build-up of proteins and, consequently, myeloma cell death. The drug’s binding is also fairly irreversible, which translates into a more sustained inhibition of the targeted enzymes. In the U.S., Kyprolis is indicated in combination with dexamethasone or with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three lines of therapy. It is also indicated as a monotherapy for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one or more lines of therapy.
Amgen’s presentations will include a range of analyses on Phase 3 studies evaluating Kyprolis, namely as a therapy in association with dexamethasone or with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone. Some presentations will also focus on multiple myeloma patient characteristics, treatment, use of resources, and costs in a real-world setting. The full list of abstracts is available in a press release.
One of the company’s presentations, on the Blincyto TOWER study, is recognized as a top abstract submitted to the U.S. Congress. “We are excited that the data from the TOWER study, which is the first randomized study of an immunotherapy to demonstrate overall survival benefit in adult patients with Ph-negative relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, will be featured at the Presidential Symposium this year at EHA,” said Sean E. Harper, MD, executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. “This recognition along with other key data being presented validates our ongoing commitment to developing innovative therapies that have the potential to tackle unmet needs in complex-to-treat patient populations.”
The EHA 2016 Congress runs from June 9–12.
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