Could a drug combo replace stem cell transplants for some myeloma patients?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age \>18 years with no upper age limit with a diagnosis of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with indication for initiation of therapy with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * No prior therapy except for dexamethasone (up to 160 mg) and/or bortezomib (up to 5.2 mg/m2 ) and/or cyclophosphamide up to 1000 mg/m2 administered for management of acute manifestations of multiple myeloma (hypercalcemia, renal impairment, pain) for no longer than 4 weeks prior to enrollment (pre induction). If subject received any prior therapy, pretreatment parameters necessary for disease characterization and response assessment must be available. * Measurable disease meeting at least one of the following criteria (at screening or prior to pre induction): 1) Serum monoclonal (M) protein ≥1.0 g/dl 2) ≥ 200 mg of M protein/24h in the urine 3) Serum free light chain ≥10 mg/dL and abnormal kappa to lambda ratio. * Life expectancy ≥ 12 months. * Adequate organ function - Hepatic function, with serum Alanine Aminotransferase ≤ 2.5 times the upper limit of normal and serum direct bilirubin ≤ 2 mg/dL (34 µmol/L) within 21 days prior to initiation of therapy. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 40 mL/minute within 21 days prior to start of therapy. * Females of childbearing potential (FCBP) must agree to ongoing pregnancy testing and to practice contraception during treatment and for 30 days after the last dose of bortezomib. Male subjects must agree to practice contraception and refrain from donating sperm during treatment and for 90 days after the last dose of bortezomib. * All subjects must agree to comply with and be enrolled in Revlimid Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. * Meet institutional criteria for autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation according to investigator's assessment. * At least 30% ethnic/racial minorities will be included. If necessary, accrual will be held of non-ethnic minority patients while continuing for ethnic minorities in order to ensure at least 30% representation. Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of POEMS (Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal protein, Skin changes), Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. * Major surgery, radiotherapy or infection requiring therapy within 14 days of starting treatment. * Pregnant or lactating females. * Patients with uncontrolled human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C. Patients may be eligible with Viral load is undetectable. * Unstable angina or myocardial infarction within 4 months prior to registration, New York heart association Class II, III or IV heart failure, uncontrolled angina, history of severe coronary artery disease, severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias, sick sinus syndrome, or electrocardiographic evidence of acute ischemia or Grade 3 conduction system abnormalities unless subject has a pacemaker. * Cerebrovascular disease manifested as prior stroke at any time or transient ischemic attack in the 12 months prior to initiation of therapy. * Non hematologic malignancy within the past 3 years with the exception of a) adequately treated basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell skin cancer, or localized thyroid cancer; b) carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast; c) prostate cancer of Gleason Grade 6 or less with stable prostate-specific antigen levels; or d) cancer considered cured by surgical resection or unlikely to impact survival during the duration of the study, such as localized transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder or benign tumors of the adrenal or pancreas. * Significant neuropathy (Grades 3-4, or Grade 2 with pain) within 21 days prior to registration. * Any other clinically significant medical disease or condition that, in the Investigator's opinion, may interfere with protocol adherence or a subject's ability to give informed consent.