Celgene's Revlimid delays myeloma progression

BOSTON, Dec. 9 (Reuters) - Celgene Corp CELG.0 said on Sunday that its cancer drug Revlimid in combination with the steroid dexamethasone helped newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma stave off their disease longer than those who took dexamethasone alone.

Data from a trial conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology showed a 93 percent survival rate at one year in the Revlimid plus dexamethasone arm and a 91 percent survival rate in the dexamethasone only arm.

The lack of real difference between the two arms was a function of the trial design, under which if a patient in the dexamethasone arm relapsed, the patient was given Revlimid.

The SWOG trial closed early in May after preliminary one-year survival results from a separate trial conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) showed a greater survival advantage for patients taking Revlimid plus a low dose of dexamethasone compared to those taking a higher dose of dexamethasone.

The SWOG trial showed that 77 percent of patients in the Revlimid plus dexamethasone group were still in remission and alive at one year.

In the dexamethasone alone group, it was 55 percent.

The takeaway from the two trials, investigators say, is that Revlimid plus low-dose dexamethasone is the ideal combination. (Reporting by Toni Clarke; Editing by Jan Paschal)