EHA 2021 | ANCHOR: novel melflufen combinations in R/R myeloma
Enrique M. Ocio, MD, PhD, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Spain, shares an update on the Phase I dose-finding stage of the bortezomib arm of the Phase I/IIa ANCHOR trial (NCT03481556) investigating melflufen, a peptide-drug conjugate, plus dexamethasone in combination with bortezomib or daratumumab in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma. The primary goal of this Phase I trial was to identify an optimal Phase II dose of melflufen. The study concluded that the optimal dose of melflufen is 30mg, with clinical activity demonstrated in heavily pretreated patients with R/R myeloma. Dr Ocio comments on findings from the study. This interview took place at the virtual European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress 2021.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
Melflufen is the drug that has been more recently approved by the regulatory authorities apart from the new CAR T-cells. It is a novel concept, this is a peptide-drug conjugate in which you can, by using this mechanism you can achieve very high concentrations of methionine inside tumor cells. This is very good for myeloma patients.
Now, we are presented here an updated data on the combination of the first combination of melflufen with alternate melamine agents...
Melflufen is the drug that has been more recently approved by the regulatory authorities apart from the new CAR T-cells. It is a novel concept, this is a peptide-drug conjugate in which you can, by using this mechanism you can achieve very high concentrations of methionine inside tumor cells. This is very good for myeloma patients.
Now, we are presented here an updated data on the combination of the first combination of melflufen with alternate melamine agents. And this case is this was the ANCHOR study in which melflufen has been combined with bortezomib and with daratumumab in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients. I think this is very good news because what we can see is that melflufen is feasible to be combined in this, in these strategies with dara or with bortezomib. And we have really a nice data of responses, up to 70% response in the combination with daratumumab, 60% with bortezomib, and also a good PFS benefit for the combination with 12 months for the daratumumab combination. We still don’t have mature rate that mature data on oral survival and we don’t have good data still. It’s very early for the bortezomib combination.
I think this is very good news because we have a novel agent with activity in highly predicted patients, also in patients with extramedullary disease that can be feasible. The combination with other anti-myeloma drugs such as daratumumab or bortezomib.
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Disclosures
Enrique M. Ocio, MD, PhD has received honoraria or consultancy fees from Janssen, BMS, Sanofi, GSK, Oncopeptides, Amgen, Takeda, Secura-Bio, MSD and Mundipharma-EDO.
