Muhamed Baljevic, MD

University of Nebraska

Interview Date: May 28, 2018

Many patients' myeloma can become resistant to an important class of drugs use for myeloma care - proteasome inhibitors. Most patients (70%) will respond to these drugs as single therapies but some patients can be resistant initially. Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Nebraska found that expression of a gene called MUC20 could help predict how sensitive or resistant patients would be to proteasome inhibitors. They also found that the MUC20 protein could be potentially impacted by an already FDA-approved drug offered by Amgen called cabozantinib. 

Dr. Baljevic shares a clinical trial using cabozantinib with carfilzomib for patients who have become refractory (resistant) to carfilzomib. The study is open at the University of Nebraska and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Cabozantinib has shown the ability to reverse the resistance to proteasome inhibitors. 

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Celgene Corporation