Lenalidomide Plus Low-Dose Dexamethasone Produces Survival Advantage in Multiple Myeloma

Celgene Corporation announced that the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) has reported that its data monitoring committee's review of preliminary results from a large, randomized clinical trial for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma has found that the use of a low dose of dexamethasone in combination with lenalidomide suggests a survival advantage for patients, compared to the higher, standard dose of dexamethasone that is used in combination with lenalidomide to treat the disease.

Lenalidomide is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use as a treatment in combination with standard-dose dexamethasone for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. Lenalidomide is also approved for the treatment of patients with transfusion-dependent anemia due to low- or intermediate-1-risk myelodysplastic syndromes associated with a deletion 5q cytogenetic abnormality with or without additional cytogenetic abnormalities.