A Study of ATN-224 and Bortezomib in Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a bone marrow based malignancy of plasma cells that is highly treatable but rarely curable. Angiogenesis, defined as the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, is a requirement for the growth of nearly all tumors. An increase in bone marrow angiogenesis is present in Multiple Myeloma and correlates with disease progression. Several new therapies that target angiogenic pathways have shown clinical efficacy. ATN-224 is a small molecule that has been shown in pre-clinical studies to be antiangiogenic. Using one agent to overcome resistance of another agent is a treatment regimen used in oncology. A preclinical study with the combination of ATN-224 and bortezomib shows that the combination is more effective than either single agent in a bortezomib resistant cell line.