Pilot study of recombinant human soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (p75) fusion protein (TNFR:Fc; Enbrel) in patients with refractory multiple myeloma: increase in plasma TNFα levels during treatment

Tsimberidou, Apostolia-Maria; Waddelow, Tracey; Kantarjian, Hagop M; Albitar, Maher; Giles, Francis J

doi:10.1016/S0145-2126(02)00082-6

Next »Leukemia Research
Volume 27, Issue 5 , Pages 375-380, May 2003

Pilot study of recombinant human soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (p75) fusion protein (TNFR:Fc; Enbrel) in patients with refractory multiple myeloma: increase in plasma TNFα levels during treatment

Apostolia-Maria Tsimberidou
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Tracey Waddelow
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Hagop M Kantarjian
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Maher Albitar
- Department of Hematopathology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Francis J Giles
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-713-792-8217; fax: +1-713-794-4297.

Received 28 January 2002; accepted 23 April 2002.

Abstract

Elevated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels are associated with poor prognosis in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Enbrel is a TNF antagonist fusion protein consisting of the extracellular, ligand-binding domain of the human p75 TNF receptor linked to the Fc portion of human IgG1. Ten patients with refractory MM were treated with Enbrel 25mg s.c twice weekly for a minimum of eight median age was 63 years (range, 43–76). The total number of Enbrel doses was 191 (median 16; range, 3–55). TNFα plasma levels increased significantly during treatment with Enbrel. No objective response occurred. Acceleration of disease occurred in four patients. While well-tolerated, Enbrel did not have anti-myeloma activity as administered on this study.