COMy 2020 | The benefits of bispecific antibodies for treating multiple myeloma
Luciano Costa, MD, PhD, UAB School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, discusses the emergence of bispecific antibodies to treat multiple myeloma. Bispecific antibodies work in a similar way to CAR T-cells to destroy tumors, however, they do not have the same constraints as CAR T-cells. Bispecific antibodies are an off-shelf product and, therefore, treatment can start immediately with no manufacture delay. Bispecific antibodies also have more control of cytokine release syndrome. The syndrome is related to the amount of antibodies and, therefore, it can be controlled by administering the antibodies in incremental doses. Additionally, Dr Costa discusses BCMA bispecific antibodies such as AMG 420, CC-93269 and teclistamab as well as novel immunotherapies targets including GPRC5D and FcRH5. Currently, the clinical data is premature but is encouraging. There are still questions that need answering, such as should treatment be continuous and are bispecific antibodies suitable for combination therapy. This interview took place during the Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy) 2020 Virtual World Congress.
Disclosures
Research support : Amgen, Janssen
Honorarium: BMS, Janssen, Amgen, Genentech, Astra Zeneca
