COMy 2017 | What is the potential of daratumumab in combination therapy for myeloma?

Torben Plesner, MD, from the Vejle Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark, discusses the efficacy and mechanism of the monoclonal antibody daratumumab as part of a combination therapy in treating advanced and refractory multiple myeloma (MM), at the 2017 World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy) in Paris, France. He explains the importance of the immune modulatory mechanism of daratumumab in prolonging the survival of patients by activating immune cells to control disease development, without necessarily altering M-protein levels. Prof. Plesner highlights the advantage of this mechanism for use as part of a combination therapy with other immunomodulatory agents, and gives an overview of a recent randomized POLLUX study (NCT02076009) reporting favorable outcomes of treatment with daratumumab, lenalidomide and dexamethasone compared to treatment with lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone. Finally, he mentions he is awaiting the data from a new study using this combination therapy as a first-line treatment for elderly or non-transplant eligible patients. Prof. Plesner predicts that daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone will become the new standard treatment regime for relapsed/refractory myeloma, particularly for patients who are ineligible for transplant.