Encouraging clinical trial results for multiple myeloma treatment

ACY-1215 inhibits the enzyme HDAC6 in order to encourage apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells.

Evaluation of a new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in clinical trials has led to some encouraging results, according to manufacturer Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Developed to treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, ACY-1215 has demonstrated early promise in a combinatory drug treatment course.

Eight of the ten patients involved in a phase 1b study showed disease response when taking a prescription of the medicine alongside Revlimid, which is used in mantle cell lymphoma therapy.

A phase 1/2 clinical trial in which ACY-1215 was combined with Velcade (bortezomib) also indicated that the drug could be effective in safely improving bone marrow composition.

Experimenters believe that the medicine helps boost patient condition by inhibiting the intracellular histone HDAC6 in order to disrupt protein levels and proliferative signals.

The process leads to apoptosis, programmed cell death which leaves healthy cells unharmed and thus reduces the risk of serious side-effects in patients, as is witness with chemotherapy.