News

Canadians with Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia who meet inclusion requirements may want to consider participation in a new study of Beigene’s BGB-16673, a Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Targeted Protein Degrader.  To help in your understanding of a BTK Degrader, see our recent post comparing them to BTK inhibitors (BTKi). Official title of the study: A Phase 1/2, Open-Label, Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of the Bruton Tyrosine Kinases Targeted Protein Degrader BGB-16673 in Patients with B-cell Malignancies. Canadian Study Locations Now Recruiting: Calgary, AB:  Arthur Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre Edmonton, AB:  Cross Cancer Institute Laval, QC:  Université de Laval, Hôpital de l’enfant Jésus, Centre Integre de Cancerologie Vancouver, BC:  [...]

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and BTK Degraders are two different approaches to targeting BTK, a key enzyme in the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, which is crucial for the survival and proliferation of B-cells. Both strategies are used in the treatment of B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases, but they operate through distinct mechanisms. BTK Inhibitors Mechanism of Action:  Inhibition.  BTK inhibitors are small molecules that bind to the active site of BTK, preventing its phosphorylation (a biological reaction in which phosphate is added to an organic molecule) and subsequent activation. This inhibits downstream signaling pathways that are essential for B-cell proliferation [...]

From the science desk, a report on: The 12th International Workshop on Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia (IWWM-12) that took place in Prague, Czech Republic from October 17-19, 2024 where leading experts gathered to discuss the latest advances in the understanding and treatment of WM, and The 66th annual meeting and exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) that took place in San Diego, California from December 7-10, 2024. The WMFC reviewed all of the IWWM-12 abstracts submitted in Prague and found that very many of the presentations/posters simply confirmed the work of others.  For example, several abstracts confirmed three WM lineages: B [...]

Our intrepid West Coast reporter has pointed out a new clinical trial is recruiting WMers in Canada!  Although to take advantage of it, you have to be near, or be able to travel to, Vancouver. This trial, NCT05952037 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05952037), is using a new BCL-2 inhibitor, Sonrotoclax, and it is strictly for WM patients.  The trial is world-wide, but is recruiting in just the one location in Canada.  According to the clinicaltrials.gov website, that Canadian location is in North Vancouver, at the Lions Gate Hospital Chemotherapy Clinic. Interestingly, the trial has several "arms" running in parallel.  One of those arms is for [...]

The WMFC is recognizing and celebrating World Awareness Day for WM! That's one week from today, on Dr. Jan Gösta Waldenström's birthday -- April 17th. This is a worldwide event to raise the awareness of WM. Naturally we do not need to raise awareness of WM among you, our members, as you are already far too aware of this disease. But you can help raise awareness of the disease among everyone else. If you have social media accounts, please post one of the following, or something along these lines, on April 17th: Have you ever heard of #WaldenstromsMacroglobulinemia (#WM)? Can you [...]

The WMFC has been closely following the progress of the BRAWM trial because it is the only Canadian clinical treatment trial strictly for WM patients.   As Principal Investigator Dr. Neil Berinstein reported in the 2023 ASH conference, “initial clinical results show that this treatment induces a high percentage of CR + VGPRs”. It has come to our attention that there are only 6 spots left in this 59-patient Canadian WM trial.  Access for most Canadians is not an issue, as there are 9 (nine!) trial locations across Canada: Halifax, Laval, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.  As mentioned [...]

An oncology DAN is someone who investigates and coordinates funding for a patient’s prescribed drug therapy. The oncology DAN examines all possible options for funding and takes some of the burden off patients in coordinating this part of their care.  The focus of the oncology Drug Access Navigator is to coordinate funding for those drugs not funded through the hospital formulary.  (And remember, every province has a different formulary, listing drugs that it covers.) Each DAN stays up to date on drug plan submission processes, temporary drug release programs, and financial assistance options.  Their role is to keep both the patient [...]

With your kind donations and in partnership with the IWMF, the WMFC has committed $100,000, over two years, towards each of the following major WM research projects: Following our support of Dr. Zachary Hunter’s previous successful research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University we are now supporting another.  Dr. Hunter is looking ever more closely at the inner workings of WM with a study of the different versions of WM-related genes (called isoforms), finding new versions and studying how these genes evolve in WM.  It’s a two year US$480,000 project. For the first time we have an opportunity to [...]

In partnership with the IWMF, we are thrilled to make available to you two booklets that are part of the Global Initiative for education of both patients and physicians, worldwide. And through the generosity of educational grants from BeiGene and Janssen, printed copies have been put in the mail to our WMFC members (as of about Nov. 1, 2023).  And we will continue sending out copies to new members as long as our supplies last! Of course, you can download and print your own copies using the links below. The first booklet, Essential Information: A Patient's Guide, answers the questions you [...]