Dr. Jatin Shah, MD, MD Anderson

Interview date: January 10, 2014

Dr. Shah describes his focus at MD Anderson to overcome drug resistance and provide ways to use new therapies to further expand the capacity of existing drugs that work well today in myeloma treatment. He shares several options for patients who are resistant to Revlimid and entirely different approaches for patients who are resistant to Velcade. In several instances, new drugs are being used in open studies can "reactivate" the resistant drug so that it can be used once again in treatment. He shares a large number of approaches for both newly diagnosed patients that include new and more convenient oral-based options, a non-transplant approach using the monoclonal antibody elotuzumab with a common combination (RVD), and a pre-transplant approach using this same combination (RVD) with a new drug called panobinostat that has shown promise in refractory patients. For relapsed or refractory patients, he shares the good news that the carfilzomib and pomalidomide combination has the same benefit for high-risk patients as it does for low-risk patients and a new drug called filanesib (also called ARRY-520) shows effectiveness for patients with minimal options because of drug resistance. Also for relapsed patients, he describes a early approach using a new oral PIM inhibitor called LGH447 (without steroids!) He also shares a new approach to shut down the Wnt pathway to make existing drugs more powerful and reviews the most interesting findings of ASH. With so many options, how is a patient to choose? Dr. Shah gives recommendations about how to choose a clinical trial that is the right drug, that is right for you, at the right time. He dispels myths of participating in a clinical trial and suggests how patients can become more educated to maximize the use of time with the doctor for their very best care. 

The live mPatient Radio podcast with Dr. Jatin Shah