New drug cocktails show promise for multiple 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 Newly diagnosed MM based on standard CRAB criteria (see appendix B). Patient \< 65 years eligible for ASCT. Patient has measurable disease according to IMWG (International Myeloma Working Group) criteria. Patient has given voluntary written informed consent. Patient agrees to use acceptable methods for contraception. Patient has a Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60% Pretreatment clinical laboratory values within 30 days of enrolment: Platelet count ≥50 x 109/L (≥30 x 109 /L if myeloma involvement in the bone marrow is \> 50%) Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1 x 109/L without the use of growth factors Corrected serum calcium ≤14 mg/dL (3.5 mmol/L) Alanine transaminase (ALT): ≤ 3 x the Upper Limit Normal (ULN) Total bilirubin: ≤ 2 x the ULN Calculated or measured creatinine clearance: ≥ 30 mL/minute. LVEF≥40%. 2-D transthoracic echocardiogram (ECHO) is the preferred method of evaluation. Multigated Acquisition Scan (MUGA) is acceptable if ECHO is not available Life expectancy ≥ 3 months Exclusion Criteria: Previous treatment with anti-myeloma therapy (does not include radiotherapy, bisphosphonates, or a single short course of steroid \< to the equivalent of dexamethasone 40 mg/day for 4 days) Patients with non-secretory MM unless serum free-light chains are present and the ratio is abnormal or a plasmocytoma with minimum largest diameters of \> 2 cm Patients ineligible for autologous transplantation Pregnant or lactating females Presence of: Clinical active infectious hepatitis type A, B, C or HIV Acute active infection requiring antibiotics or infiltrative pulmonary disease Myocardial infarction or unstable angina ≤ 4 months or other clinically significant heart disease Peripheral neuropathy or neuropathic pain grade 2 or higher, as defined by National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI CTC) 4.0 Known history of allergy to Captisol ® (a cyclodextrin derivative used to solubilize carfilzomib) Contraindication to any of the required drugs or supportive treatments Invasive malignancy within the past 3 years Serious medical condition, laboratory abnormality or psychiatric illness that prevented the subject from the enrolment or place the subject at unacceptable risk.