News Release

Mount Sinai researchers present results at American Society of Hematology Meeting

Novel drug combinations and the first integrative genetic analysis of RNA sequencing in myeloma

Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers will present several landmark studies at the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting December 5-8, 2015, in Orlando, including data analysis of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma that revealed insight into key biological processes and deeper understanding of cellular systems and disease mechanisms, and two combination therapy strategies that showed high response rates in patients with difficult-to-treat myeloma.

Highlights of Mount Sinai research at ASH:

Towards a Network-Based Molecular Taxonomy of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Mount Sinai researchers, led by Samir Parekh, MBBS, constructed the first network biology of multiple myeloma based on RNA-sequencing data provided by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and integrated cell mutations data to infer a better model and understanding of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM). Their analysis revealed both known and unknown molecular features yielding valuable insight into key biological processes.

"We created a network model for MM and uncovered agreements between expressed genes and their molecular traits, and incorporating cell mutation data," said Dr. Parekh, Associate Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "This unveiled significant associations between mutations, certain fundamental biological processes such as DNA repair and cell cycle, and identified key driver genes that will guide treatment and inform us of best therapies."

Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase 1b Study of Daratumumab in Combination with Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone in Patients with at Least 2 Lines of Prior Therapy and Relapsed or Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Daratumumab in combination with Pomalyst-dexamethasone and other traditional therapies has been shown to be safe and effective for patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM. "Our goal was to test the safety and tolerability of this combination," said Ajai Chari, MD, Associate Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Director of Clinical Research in the Multiple Myeloma Program at TCI. "Patients had deep and durable response in a quick period of time, and the combination was well tolerated and did not result in any additional toxicity."

Combination Treatment of the Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Ibrutinib and Carfilzomib in Patients with Relapsed or Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Initial Results from a Multicenter Phase 1/2b Study

Recent advances have improved outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma (MM); however, better therapies targeting new pathways are still needed. A multi-center research team evaluated 40 patients with MM who had received Ibrutinib (IBR), a once-daily Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor that prevents both activation and signaling of B-cells, and observed that when combined with weekly dexamethasone yielded promising clinical potential and well tolerated by patients.

"The initial data has shown promising potential for this combination," said Dr. Chari. "Patients tolerated this combination and we believe it may positively regulate the myeloma stem cell-like population."

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About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services--from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2014-2015 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally.

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.


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