Clinical trial NCT00773747
Conditions: Multiple Myeloma
Keywords: Neoplasms, Plasma Cell Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Hemostatic Disorders Vascular Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Paraproteinemias Blood Protein Disorders Hematologic Diseases Hemorrhagic Disorders Lymphoproliferative Disorders Immunoproliferative Disorders Immune System Diseases Vorinostat Bortezomib Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal Analgesics, Non-Narcotic Analgesics Sensory System Agents Peripheral Nervous System Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Pharmacologic Actions Anti-Inflammatory Agents Therapeutic Uses Antirheumatic Agents Antineoplastic Agents Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Anticarcinogenic Agents
Sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Start date: 2008-12-01; Completion date: 2015-06-30
Enrollment: 637 participants; Allocation: RANDOMIZED; Intervention model: PARALLEL

Brief summary:
Study of the efficacy and safety of bortezomib administered in combination with vorinostat in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Histone deacetylases (HDAC) facilitate gene transcription by modulating the uncoiling of chromatin. HDAC function is dysregulated in hematologic and solid malignancies, and this dysregulation may result in over-expression of oncogenes. Thus, inhibition of HDACs may result in anti-cancer effects. HDAC inhibitors, like vorinostat, represent a new class of antitumor agents that have the ability to induce antiproliferative effects including cyto-differentiation, cell cycle growth arrest or apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. Several studies have investigated the in vitro antimyeloma activity of vorinostat in combination with bortezomib and have demonstrated that vorinostat may act synergistically with bortezomib to modulate tumor cell growth. Mitsiades et al have shown that vorinostat enhances the sensitivity of bortezomib. Pei et al found that exposure of human multiple myeloma cell lines \& patient-derived multiple myeloma cells to bortezomib and vorinostat resulted in synergistic interactions as a result of: (1) Interruption of NF-kB \& related signaling pathways (JNK, XIAP, Mcl-1, etc.) (2) Inhibition of Hsp90 (3)Induction of ER stress signal and (4) acetylation of Dynein/disruption of aggresome function/formation, salvage for ubiquitinated proteins. In addition a marked increase in mitochondrial injury, caspase activation, and apoptosis was also observed. Bortezomib is indicated for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. Two Phase I dose-ranging studies of a regimen combining vorinostat and bortezomib among patients with relapsed as well asend-stage, refractory multiple myeloma have been conducted. These studies enrolled a total of 57 patients. In these studies, administration of vorinostat with standard doses of bortezomib resulted in responses in 20/45 (44%) evaluable patients (Weber et al 2007, Badros et al 2007). The purpose of the present study is to definitively evaluate the clinical activity of vorinostat in combination with bortezomib inpatients with multiple myeloma.

Detailed description:

Arms: arm 1: Participants will receive vorinostat four 100 mg capsules (400 mg total) orally 0-30 minutes after a meal on Days 1-14 of a 21-day treatment cycle and bortezomib 1.3 mg/m\^2 by intravenous injection on Days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of a 21-day treatment cycle. arm 2: Participants will receive four placebo capsules orally 0-30 minutes after a meal on Days 1-14 of a 21-day treatment cycle and bortezomib 1.3 mg/m\^2 by intravenous injection on Days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of a 21-day treatment cycle.
Interventions: intervention 1: Vorinostat intervention 2: bortezomib intervention 3: placebo to vorinostat
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Four 100 mg capsules vorinostat taken orally, once daily, on Days 1 through 14 of each 21-day treatment cycle. intervention 2: 1.3 mg/m2 of bortezomib by IV push, on Days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of each 21-day treatment cycle. intervention 3: Four placebo capsules taken orally, once daily, on Days 1 through 14 of each 21-day treatment cycle.

Protocol documents: