Trade names normally aren’t established and trademarked until after FDA preliminary approval of a drug.  Looks like our friends at Onyx are pretty confident that the FDA will step-up and quickly approve carfilzomib for relapsed/refractory myeloma patients.

While we were busy being inspired–and reading nutritional tips to help us control our myeloma–there was a lot going on with the new myeloma therapies and the FDA.

Here is a link to an excellent Myeloma Beacon review/summary which compares different experimental proteasome inhibitors Marizomib (NPI-0052) and MLN9708 with Velcade and carfilzomib:

If your read Friday’s post about my emotional evening at the IMF’s International Jounalist event last week, you will probably recall how my roller-coaster “crashed down” after hearing about an unexpectedly short, 8 month overall survival (OS) benefit from using pomalidomid and dexamethasone after patients became refractory to Revlimid and Velcade.

Last night I attended a media reception, hosted by Onyx Pharmaceuticals at the Omni Hotel in San Diego.

I know, I know.  I’m falling behind!  I’m so busy collecting and analyzing newly released myeloma related research data, I have barely had time to write.

Yesterday I wrote about how fortunate I was to have received second opinions–via email–from two well know, well respected mutliple myeloma experts.

Yesterday I ran a post, sharing the good news that Onyx Pharmaceuticals has submitted their Official FDA application for carfilzomib.

This is a perfect example of how sadness and despair can turn to hope in the blink of an eye…

Yesterday I wrote about three anti-myeloma clinical studies involving carfilzomib, elotuzumab and panobinostat.

Once again, thank you for all of the emails I received with contact information for amyloidosis specialists that I could pass along to Bill and Diane.  The response was overwhelming!

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) reports that pomalidomide and carfilzomib “are both moving closer to approval for patients who have relapsed or do not respond to current drugs.” in their summer addition of Myeloma Today.

I like the way these guys think!  Onyx is pushing development of carfilzomib hard.  Anticipating success, they plan to team-up with the MMRF to create the Carfilzomib Myeloma Access Program.

A few more quick notes from ASCO before the first of a long running series about ways to improve peripheral neuropathy (PN) starts later today:

If I have time, I will report on some important myeloma related presentations at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meetings here in Chicago Sunday.  But first, I would like to share a some thoughts about a reception I attended Saturday evening at the Field Museum on Chicago’s lakefront.

I received this positive email today from Nadia Hasan, with Onyx Pharmaceuticals, about the new novel therapy agent, carfilzomib:

Two myeloma related industry press releases went out today. 

The Myeloma Beacon ran an excellent review of new anti-myeloma therapies which are in late stages of development: 

Last month I broke a story about the new, experimental anti-myeloma novel therapy agent, carfilzomib:
This Just In: FDA Announces Fast Track Designation For Carfilzomib.

I wanted to share this wonderful news right away…
Here is an e-mail I received from a contact who works closely with Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Nadia Hasan: