Hematologist-oncologists view Velcade more favorably than Revlimid or Thalomid for multiple myeloma; report

Current treatment options for multiple myeloma focus on the use of Takeda/Millennium/Janssen-Cilag’s (a Johnson & Johnson company) Velcade (bortezomib), Celgene’s Revlimid (lenalidomide) and Celgene’s Thalomid (thalidomide).

Competition between these MM drugs is intense in all lines of treatment despite Revlimid lacking approval in the first-line setting, notes a new report by BioTrends Research (a Decision Resources company). Use of Velcade and Revlimid in combination reduces this competition and such regimens are considered to be the most efficacious according to surveyed hematologist-oncologists.

The choice between Velcade and Revlimid depends on several factors, but Velcade is perceived to perform significantly better than both Revlimid and Thalomid with respect to overall efficacy (the most important clinical attribute) for the treatment of multiple myeloma according to surveyed hematologist-oncologists. In the first-line settings, the factors restricting Revlimid use include concerns over secondary malignancies, cost, and difficulties with stem-cell collection.