FDA Approves Empliciti, Boosting Bristol-Myers Squibb and AbbVie
Treatments for multiple myeloma
As discussed earlier in this series, the FDA has approved Empliciti, a drug codeveloped by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) and AbbVie (ABBV), for patients with multiple myeloma who have already undergone one to three therapies.
As shown in the graph above, there are five possible treatments for multiple myeloma:
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chemotherapy
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radiation
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bisphosphonates
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surgery
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stem cell transplant
Celgene’s Revlimid and Pomalyst
Celgene’s (CELG) Revlimid is used with dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. Apart from multiple myeloma, Revlimid is used to treaet patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and mantle cell lymphoma.
Pomalyst is used with dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor and who have demonstrated disease progression on or within 60 days of completion of the last therapy.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company’s Velcade
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company’s (TKPYY) Velcade is a drug used for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and relapsed mantle cell lymphoma.
Onyx’s Kyprolis
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Amgen (AMGN), has a drug called Kyprolis that is used in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Kyprolis is meant for patients who have received one to three prior treatments for multiple myeloma.
Other drugs
Other drugs for multiple myeloma include Celgene’s Thalomid, Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) Doxil and Darzalex, and Novartis’s (NVS) Farydak.
To diversify their risk, investors can consider ETFs like the Market Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), which has ~5.3% of its total holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb, or the iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ).
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