Could starting with fewer drugs be just as effective for multiple myeloma?

NCT ID NCT01919086

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested a new way to treat multiple myeloma by starting with just two drugs (bortezomib and dexamethasone) and adding a third (lenalidomide) only if the disease wasn't well controlled. The goal was to see if this step-by-step approach could achieve the same good results as giving all three drugs at once, but with fewer side effects. Thirty adults with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma took part in this phase 2 trial.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

bortezomib, dexamethasone, and lenalidomide

What this could lead to

If successful, this approach could show that starting with fewer drugs and adding more only when needed works just as well as using all three from the start, with fewer side effects.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The sequential approach might not control the disease as well as the standard three-drug combination.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

plasma cell myeloma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute @ Hartford Hospital

    Hartford, Connecticut, 06102, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

    Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

    New York, New York, 10065, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center @ Suffolk

    Commack, New York, 11725, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth

    Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester

    Harrison, New York, 10604, United States

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering at Mercy Medical Center

    Rockville Centre, New York, United States