ASCO: Revlimid boosts survival in multiple myeloma

Revlimid improves survival in previously treated patients with multiple myeloma by at least a year compared with those taking standard treatment, according to data released at ASCO.

Data from a late-stage or Phase III clinical trial presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) showed that patients who took Revlimid plus chemotherapy lived at least a year longer than those who took chemotherapy plus a placebo.

Results from the trial, conducted in North America, showed that in the placebo group about half the patients had died within two years, the median point for that study.

By contrast, more than half the patients in the Revlimid group are still alive after three years, which means the median point in that group has not yet been reached.

Results from a similarly sized trial in Europe, which started six months later, appear to track those in the North American trial, according to Celgene.

Revlimid, which is currently approved to treat a group of blood disorders known as myelodysplastic syndromes, is expected shortly to also be approved as a treatment for multiple myeloma.

Data presented at the ASCO meeting last year showed that patients with advanced multiple myeloma who were given Revlimid in combination with chemotherapy took an average of 15 months to relapse compared with five months for patients taking chemotherapy plus a placebo.

Revlimid is expected to be approved as a treatment for patients who have failed other therapies, including Celgene's drug Thalomid, which is currently the standard of care for multiple myeloma