NVP-LAQ824 displays synergy with dexamethasone against MM cells, and NVP-LAQ824 induced cytotoxicity is not overcome by interleukin-6. The inhibitory effects of Dex and NVP-LAQ824 at low concentrations (25 nM), alone and in combination, are shown by MTS assay (A). The sum of the inhibition of each drug alone is 22% (15% inhibition by Dex and 7% inhibition by NVP-LAQ824), significantly less than both drugs (51% viability); (B-C) exogenous IL-6, 100 ng/mL (□) does not protect MM.1S cells (B) or freshly isolated patient cells (C) from the inhibitory effects of NVP-LAQ824, compared with media alone (▪). Error bars represent 1 SD of a triplicate experiment.