title: Emerging drugs in multiple myeloma.
abstract: The treatment of multiple myeloma has seen significant changes from the time of the initial use of cytotoxic agents such as melphalan, to the introduction of high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation, and most recently the era of novel targeted agents. These new drugs have rapidly become the mainstay of therapy of this disease and transformed the treatment paradigm, leading to improvements in survival and quality of life. Existing therapeutic options include agents such as thalidomide, bortezomib and lenalidomide, either used alone or in combination with standard agents, including glucocorticoids, and in conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy supported with stem cell transplantation. Several other targeted agents have demonstrated exciting preclinical activity, and are presently being tested in early Phase I and II clinical trials. This review summarizes the role of novel therapeutic agents in multiple myeloma, and the promising effect of multiple new agents in development.
authors.affiliation: Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. irene_ghobrial@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Irene M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ghobrial
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leleu
authors.forename: Evdoxia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatjiharissi
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hideshima
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitsiades
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schlossman
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069286:Bortezomib; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D000077269:Lenalidomide; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001897:Boronic Acids; D011719:Pyrazines; D013792:Thalidomide; D000069286:Bortezomib; D000077269:Lenalidomide