Oncopeptides AB, a pharmaceutical company that develops drugs for cancer treatment, recently announced results from phase 2 Horizon trial of melflufen to treat multiple myeloma. The study is conducted to demonstrate efficacy and safety of the drug to treat relapsed multiple myeloma, report sources. Paul Richardson, MD & Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of clinical research at the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, U.S., was reportedly quoted saying that incidence of patients with resistant myeloma categorized by extra-medullary disease & high-risk cytogenetics is increasing, hence requiring an alternative treatment option. In patients with triple-class refractory, melflufen is demonstrating positive activity, with manageable toxicity in refractory and relapsed settings, Richardson added. As per credible sources, the ORR (overall response rate) was 28% & CBR (clinical benefit rate) was 40%. More than three treatment regimens have been received by 36% of the patients, over last 12 months. Extra-medullary disease patients had an overall response rate of 29%. Majority of the patients (86%) achieved disease stabilization. The treatment was generally well tolerated with manageable toxicity. Nonhematologic adverse events were infrequent & the rate of discontinuation due to adverse events was low. Jakob Lindberg, CEO, Oncopeptides, was reported to say that Horizon is a trial for patients with advanced multiple myeloma. Most of the patients have EMD (extra medullary disease). Even in times of modern therapies, patients with EMD relapse have limited response from treatment in clinical trials. The Horizon trial of melflufen showed 28% response rate along with manageable side effects. The results indicate that melflufen in combination with dexamethasone can offer a reasonable treatment alternative to patients with triple-class refractory multiple myeloma, Lindberg added. Reportedly, the Horizon trial of melflufen demonstrated positive results from heavily pretreated patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. The drug shows progressive activity in patients that have stopped responding to PI & lenalidomide based treatments and subsequently became resistant to therapies based on pomalidomide and daratumumab. Source credits : https://www.oncopeptides.se/en/new-data-presented-from-oncopeptides-pivotal-phase-2-horizon-trial-evaluating-melflufen-in-relapsed-refractory-multiple-myeloma-at-24th-eha-congress/