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Subcutaneous injection is now commonly used as a standard for bortezomib administration. The bortezomib (Velcade(®)) product monograph recommends that intravenous injections be prepared at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, while subcutaneous injections may be prepared at a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. Many institutions and subcutaneous administration guidelines use 2 mL as the maximum volume for subcutaneous injection. Using 2 mL as the maximum volume for injection would mean that many patients receiving bortezomib will receive two injections during each visit with common dosing parameters. In this prospective study evaluating a change to subcutaneous administration, bortezomib 1 mg/mL was administered subcutaneously at a higher maximum of 3 mL per injection site. For 57 individual patients, 339 doses were administered. Skin reactions were noted in 42% with all reactions being Grade 1 or 2. Patients tolerated subcutaneous injections well and only four patients were switched back to intravenous route. This is the first time that subcutaneous bortezomib of a volume up to a maximum of 3 mL (bortezomib 3 mg) per injection site has been reported. This higher single dose is well tolerated with limited skin reactions, no significant hypotension and facilitates ease of administration with only 5 patients needing two injections per visit. If the maximum volume for injection was kept at 2 mL, a total of 46 patients would have received two injections per visit., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Subcutaneous injection is now commonly used as a standard for bortezomib administration. The bortezomib (Velcade®) product monograph recommends that intravenous injections be prepared at a concentration of 1mg/mL, while sub- cutaneous injections may be prepared at a concentration of 2.5mg/mL. Many institutions and subcutaneous administration guidelines use 2mL as the maximum volume for subcutaneous injection. Using 2mL as the maximum volume for injection would mean that many patients receiving bortezomib will receive two injections during each visit with common dosing parameters. In this prospective study evaluating a change to subcutaneous administration, bortezomib 1mg/mL was administered subcutaneously at a higher maximum of 3mL per injection site. For 57 individual patients, 339 doses were administered. Skin reactions were noted in 42% with all reactions being Grade 1 or 2. Patients tolerated subcutaneous injections well and only four patients were switched back to intravenous route. This is the first time that subcutaneous bortezomib of a volume up to a maximum of 3mL (bortezomib 3mg) per injection site has been reported. This higher single dose is well tolerated with limited skin reactions, no significant hypotension and facilitates ease of administration with only 5 patients needing two injections per visit. If the maximum volume for injection was kept at 2mL, a total of 46 patients would have received two injections per visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor in response to the article "Lenalidomide (Revlimid), bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone for the treatment of secondary plasma cell leukemia," that was published in a previous issue of the journal is presented.

The combination of lenalidomide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (RVD) has shown excellent efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and toxicity profile of RVD for patients with advanced RRMM. We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients with RRMM treated with RVD between March 2009 and December 2011. Thirty patients received ≥1 full cycle of RVD. Primary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). After a median of 5 cycles (1-16), a very good partial response (VGPR) was seen in 10%, partial response (PR) in 36.7% and stable disease (SD) in 13.3% (ORR of 46.7%). Disease progression occurred in 21 patients at a median of 3 months (range 1.41-4.59). Eight patients (26%) experienced grade 3/4 adverse events, including anemia, neutropenia, muscle weakness and pneumonia. No patient experienced worsening peripheral neuropathy. Although RVD has been previously shown to be effective in RRMM, the ORR and PFS we observed were affected by very advanced disease status and heavy prior exposure to novel agents. Nevertheless, six of these patients with RRMM experienced a benefit of ≥6 months, suggesting synergism of this immunomodulatory derivative/proteasome inhibitor combination and/or re-establishment of drug sensitivity by an emergent myeloma clone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and dexamethasone induction therapy for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM). It discusses the development of new therapies for MM, method used to calculate the patients' survival, and the overall response for all patients in the study.

CAN2007 was a phase 1/2 study of once- and twice-weekly single-agent bortezomib in relapsed primary systemic amyloid light chain amyloidosis (AL) amyloidosis. Seventy patients were treated, including 18 and 34 patients at the maximum planned doses on the once- and twice-weekly schedules. This prespecified final analysis provides mature response and long-term outcomes data after 3-year additional follow-up since the last report. In the once-weekly 1.6 mg/m(2) and twice-weekly 1.3 mg/m(2) bortezomib groups, final hematologic response rates were 68.8% and 66.7%; 80% of patients in each group sustained their response for ⩾1 year. One-year progression-free rates were 72.2% and 76.8%. Median overall survival (OS) was 62.1 months and not reached; 4-year OS rates were 75.0% and 63.0%. Low baseline difference in κ/λ free light-chain level was associated with higher hematologic complete response rates and longer OS. At data cutoff, 40 (57%) patients had received subsequent therapy, including 19 (27%) retreated with bortezomib, 11 (58%) of whom achieved complete or partial hematologic responses. Four patients received prolonged bortezomib for between 3.5 and 5.6 years, with no new safety concerns, highlighting the feasibility of long-term therapy. Single-agent bortezomib produced durable hematologic responses and promising long-term OS in relapsed AL amyloidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]