Velcade Shows Promising Activity in Phase II Studies in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Millennium Pharmaceuticals has announced results from two clinical trials with Velcade in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).

The data were from an ongoing Phase II National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored study and final results from a Phase II investigator initiated study examining the potential role of VELCADE in patients with various forms of NHL.

Millennium and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development are investigating Velcade in both hematologic and solid tumors in trials throughout the U.S. and Europe.

In the NCI-sponsored study patients with follicular, mantle-cell, small lymphocytic and marginal zone lymphoma received single-agent Velcade at 1.5 mg/m2 twice weekly for two weeks every 21 days. There was no upper limit on planned therapy, and treatment could continue as long as evidence of clinical benefit without excess toxicity. To be eligible for the study, patients must have received no more than three prior lines of therapy.