25 September 2015 - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended granting a marketing authorisation for Kyprolis (carfilzomib) to treat patients with multiple myeloma whose disease has relapsed (i.e. the cancer has come back after receiving at least one prior course of therapy). Kyprolis is for use in combination with the cancer medicines lenalidomide and dexamethasone.

Over the last decade, new therapies have become available, which have improved the outlook for patients with multiple myeloma. However, there is still an urgent need to provide treatment options for patients who no longer respond to the available therapies. EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) therefore decided to review Kyprolis under the accelerated assessment programme, a tool which aims to speed up patients’ access to medicines that address unmet medical needs.

Multiple myeloma is a rare and life-threatening cancer of a type of white blood cell, called plasma cells, which originate in the bone marrow. In multiple myeloma the division of plasma cells becomes uncontrolled, resulting in abnormal, immature plasma cells multiplying and filling up the bone marrow. The abnormal cells interfere with the production of normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, leading to complications such as anaemia, bone pain and fractures, raised blood calcium levels and kidney disease. In 2012 approximately 39,000 people in the EU were diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Carfilzomib belongs to a class of medicines called proteasome inhibitors. Proteasome inhibitors block the proteasome, a system in cells that breaks down proteins when they are no longer needed. When proteins in the cancer cells are not broken down by the proteasome, the cells eventually die, slowing down the growth of the cancer.

For more details, go to: http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/news_and_events/news/2015/09/news_detail_002400.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058004d5c1