Cancer: New Inhibitor Effective Where Other Treatments Fail

KREMS, Austria - Dec. 3, 2019 - PRLog -- A novel agent called Selinexor has opened up new options for the treatment of patients with refractory myeloma. This was the conclusion of a major international clinical trial in which also the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, Austria (KL Krems) participated. The results have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Thanks to a new mode of action, the compound brings hope to the growing number of patients whose tumor cells have become resistant to the three backbone drug classes.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common form of hematologic malignancies. Besides autologous stem cell transplantation for fit patients and conventional chemotherapy drugs, three classes of agents, which are optimally combined, form the backbone of myeloma therapy: immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), proteasome inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies. If patients develop resistance against one of these types of medication, they often switch to another. At present, no further drug treatment is available for the increasing number of myeloma patients resistant against all three drug classes thereby precluding further improvement of patient survival. However, an international team including KL Krems' Dr. Klaus Podar (from the Department of Internal Medicine 2, Krems University Hospital) has now uncovered a medication that opens the door to a new treatment option.


Original publication: Oral Selinexor–Dexamethasone for Triple-Class Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Ajai Chari, M.D. et al. N Engl J Med 2019; 381:727-738. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1903455

Scientific Contact

Priv.-Doz. Mag. DDr. Klaus Podar

Department of Internal Medicine 2

University Hospital Krems

Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Mitterweg 10

3500 Krems an der Donau

T +43 2732 9004 2555

E klaus.podar@krems.lknoe.at

W http://www.krems.lknoe.at

Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Eva-Maria Gruber

Communication, PR & Marketing (Head)

Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30

3500 Krems / Austria

T +43 2732 72090 231

M +43 664 5056211

E evamaria.gruber@kl.ac.at

W http://www.kl.ac.at/