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New drugs in myeloma: beware of phase I trial results, beware of cost and demand for new trials

Leukemia volume 31, pages 1843–1844 (2017)Cite this article

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In this issue of Leukemia, Zander et al.1 show that the optimal dosing regimen of pomalidomide in multiple myeloma (MM) remains unclear and that the current standard of 4 mg daily is based on limited comparative data, raising questions around toxicity and cost-effectiveness. On the basis of a careful analysis of phase 1/2 data, they propose the administration of pomalidomide on alternate days, which, on the one hand will allow a reduction in cost, and on the other hand lead to a potential reduction in toxicity, thereby likely increasing the safety/efficacy ratio.

This paper is of utmost importance since it points out several ongoing issues of drug development in MM.

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References

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  1. Department of Hematology, University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France

    P Moreau

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  1. P Moreau
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Correspondence to P Moreau.

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Advisory boards and honoraria: Janssen, Takeda, Amgen, Celgene and Novartis.

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Moreau, P. New drugs in myeloma: beware of phase I trial results, beware of cost and demand for new trials. Leukemia 31, 1843–1844 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2017.188

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