This is the first and best real world evidence that vaccines are highly effective in protecting people from severe COVID. Israel has led the world in vaccinations. I am very impressed with these results. #VaccinesWork@ASlavitt@TimesofIsraelgoogle.com/amp/s/www.time…
As of now almost 40% of Israel has been vaccinated. Just phenomenal.
My suggestion. Keep razor focus on vaccinating as many people as possible.
Don’t worry about which vaccine.
Don’t worry about mutants. (Let scientists do the worrying)
Don’t worry about mild COVID
If we can stop deaths from COVID then COVID becomes the common COLD
What we need is to stop hospitalizations, long term sequelae, and deaths. I’m confident the current approved vaccines will accomplish all of this.
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The fascinating story of Thalidomide: how this most notorious drug on the planet, banned in the 1960s, made an incredible comeback and revolutionized the treatment of myeloma.
I will also highlight one person whose role is not recognized: Without Dr. Leif Bergsagel there will be no thalidomide for myeloma.
Read on #MedTwitter
The thalidomide story has many takeaways and lessons.
It shows drug development from bedside to bench and back to bedside.
It shows the power and impact of astute clinicians
It shows the power of investigator courage
The role of serendipity
But let’s start at the very beginning.
Thalidomide was synthesized in 1954, and then developed as a sleeping pill by the German company Chemie Grünenthal in the 1950s.
At the time the only sedatives available were barbiturates which had risks of intentional or accidental overdose.
Because thalidomide was felt to be a drug that cannot cause death due to overdose it was marketed as one of the safest sedatives.
By 1961, it was sold in over 40 countries as a sleeping. It was also tragically used to control morning sickness of early pregnancy.
AQUILA trial for high risk smoldering myeloma published in @NEJM today.
@thanosdimop
Personally for me, it is a huge milestone along 25 years of work that started in 1998. #ASH24 #ASH24VR
This story below may help those interested in a clinical trialist career. 1/
In 1998, as a fellow @MayoClinic I was keen to determine if early intervention delayed progression and improved survival in SMM. #ASH24
In 1999, with the help of Tom Witzig, I led a small phase II trial of thalidomide for SMM. @LeukemiaJnl 2/
I was then so fortunate to examine the natural history of SMM, with the legendary Bob Kyle. Honored to be last author on @NEJM paper that also provided data that most progressions occur in the first 5 years of diagnosis.
The start of the concept of high risk vs low risk SMM. 3/
FDA approval doesn’t necessarily mean standard of care.
Thread.
1/
For example FDA approved Dara VMP for frontline therapy in myeloma in 2018.
Literally no one used the regimen in the US.
Literally no one felt the regimen was standard of care in the US.
Before or after approval!
Why?
FDA adjudicates a sponsors submission on whether a given drug/regimen has met the burden of proving safety and efficacy.
Standard of care in clinical practice is a different standard: judgment of risk/benefit of available alternatives, and assessment of trial design/end points.
Cure is a simple word. But there is confusion when it comes to cancer. What cure is in cancer, and what we should aspire for?
When can we say that a given type of cancer is curable?
Thread
1/
There is a difference between when we can say a particular cancer is a curable type versus whether individual patients with a given cancer can be considered potentially cured.
They are not the same.
2/
To call a cancer curable we must be able to treat the cancer for a finite duration, stop all therapy, and know that a certain % of patients will never relapse
Early stage solid tumors, Hodgkin lymphoma, DLBCL, ALL, AML are curable. Real cure. The definition of curable cancer
3/
The 4 big myeloma randomized trials to watch out for @ASCO #ASCO24
1. Isa-VRd vs Isa-Rd newly diagnosed
2.Isa-VRd vs VRd (IMROZ)
3.DREAMM8 Bela-Pd vs Pd
4.Ven Dex vs Pom Dex (Canova)
See thread for why they are important.
1) The Triplet vs Quad trials with will define role of quads in elderly patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. They also provide frontline phase III data with Isatuximab— and a choice between Dara and Isa. For some patients Isa will be more cost effective. @Myeloma_Doc #ASCO24
2) Belantamab will make a comeback.
Corneal toxicity is low with reduced frequency dosing. The drug works very well. And in many patients with refractory myeloma belantamab may be safer and easier to do than bispecifics. We need options. #ASCO24