Smart Program Design Through a Common Information Model.

Although much information is already available publically from information-sharing initiatives such as ClinicalTrials.gov, information about clinical programs is unstructured, inconsistent, and incomplete. Clinical research within bioscience companies, health care, academia, and governmental agencies could benefit from easier access to best practices, historical information, and improved information sharing.

Immunomodulatory drug CC-5013 overcomes drug resistance and is well tolerated in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma.

Thalidomide (Thal) can overcome drug resistance in multiple myeloma (MM) but is associated with somnolence, constipation, and neuropathy. In previous in vitro studies, we have shown that the potent immunomodulatory derivative of thalidomide (IMiD) CC-5013 induces apoptosis or growth arrest even in resistant MM cell lines and patient cells, decreases binding of MM cells to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), inhibits the production in the BM milieu of cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha]) mediating growth and survival of MM cells, blocks angiogenesis, and stimulates host anti-MM natural killer (NK) cell immunity. Moreover, CC-5013 also inhibits tumor growth, decreases angiogenesis, and prolongs host survival in a human plasmacytoma mouse model.