( d lenalidomide anddexamethasone given ...)Low-Dose Steroid Combined With Lenalidomide Prolongs Survival,Compared With High-Dose Steroid for Multiple Myeloma Treatment,Health

Randomized trials are the gold standard for evaluation of the effectiveness of new treatments, said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. These results also emphasize once again the importance of NCIs rigorous program of oversight, which brings highly qualified clinician scientists to serve as members of data safety and monitoring committees.

Lenalidomide, a derivative of thalidomide, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006 to be used in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of multiple myeloma in patients who received at least one prior therapy for their disease. Dexamethasone is a steroid that acts as an anti-inflammatory and as an immunosuppressant and has numerous uses in medical practice.

ECOG has a long history in developing new treatments for multiple myeloma, according to Robert L. Comis, M.D., ECOG group chairperson. The application of this effective and less toxic approach will benefit many patients with this disease.

Celgene, Inc., Summit, N.J., which manufactures lenalidomide, provided lenalidomide for the trial under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with NCI for the clinical development of lenalidomide.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells that are found in blood and bone marrow. In 2007, an estimated 19,900 people in the United States will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma and an estimated 10,790 people will die of the disease.

For more information about multiple myeloma, visit the NCI website at http://myeloma.cancer.gov.

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