Patent ID: 7771723

Claim:
A method for treating myeloma, comprising: (A) (a) providing an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody that inhibits signal transmission of IL-6 by blocking the binding of IL-6 ligand to IL-6 receptor, wherein an anticancer therapeutic mechanism of the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody is inhibition of signal transmission of IL-6; (b) providing a melphalan; and (c) administering the melphalan in combination with the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody as part of a treatment regimen, wherein the co-administration of melphalan and the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody has a higher (synergistic) therapeutic effect for myeloma than when the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody alone is administered or when the melphalan alone is administered; or (B) the method of (A), wherein the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody and the melphalan are formulated in separate pharmaceutical compositions which are administered at different times or are administered at the same time, or the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody and the melphalan are formulated in one pharmaceutical composition.