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. 2013 May 10:6:531-8.
doi: 10.2147/OTT.S34498. Print 2013.

Pomalidomide: a novel drug to treat relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

Evangelos Terpos  1 , Nikolaos Kanellias, Dimitrios Christoulas, Efstathios Kastritis, Meletios A Dimopoulos
Affiliations

Pomalidomide: a novel drug to treat relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

Evangelos Terpos et al. Onco Targets Ther. .

Abstract

Multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease despite the introduction of the immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) thalidomide and lenalidomide and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib that have improved the outcome of patients with both newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory disease. However, patients who relapse after treatment with these agents or are refractory to them represent an unmet need and highlight the necessity for the development of novel anti-myeloma agents. Pomalidomide is an IMiD, structurally related to thalidomide, with enhanced antiangiogenic, antineoplastic, and anti-inflammatory properties and exhibiting potent anti-myeloma activity in vitro and in vivo. Pomalidomide has shown remarkable activity in patients who were refractory to both bortezomib and lenalidomide in Phase II and III studies. This paper reviews the chemistry and mechanisms of action of pomalidomide as well as all the available data from clinical trials on pomalidomide use in patients with refractory/relapsed multiple myeloma.

Keywords: angiogenesis; cereblon; immunomodulatory drugs; lenalidomide; refractory.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of the immunomodulatory drugs used in the management of myeloma patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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