EHA 2021 | The management of multiple myeloma in 2021
Claudio Cerchione, MD, PhD, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy, gives an overview of the treatment landscape for multiple myeloma, highlighting recent advances in frontline therapy, including the introduction of daratumumab-based approaches in both transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible patients. Dr Cerchione also discusses updates in the treatment of myeloma in the relapsed/refractory setting, commenting on the use of monoclonal antibody combinations such as belantamab mafodotin, carfilzomib and ixazomib, and the promise of the novel combination of belantamab mafodotin and selinexor. Finally, Dr Cerchione talks on the potential future role of bispecific antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. This interview took place at the virtual European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress 2021.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
I think that currently the therapeutic paradigm of multiple myeloma is changing more and more. In particular, we are going towards a complete new approach to the frontline treatment. The frontline patients in multiple myeloma will be treated with daratumumab-based approach and this will be the new backbone of treatment in transplant-ineligible but also in transplant-eligible, according to new percent in the clinical trials...
I think that currently the therapeutic paradigm of multiple myeloma is changing more and more. In particular, we are going towards a complete new approach to the frontline treatment. The frontline patients in multiple myeloma will be treated with daratumumab-based approach and this will be the new backbone of treatment in transplant-ineligible but also in transplant-eligible, according to new percent in the clinical trials.
And I think that we are moving forward, a change also in the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients. In particular, considering other combinations, because we are able to re-introduce other reagents considering that all relapsed and refractory patients will be previously treated with the monoclonal antibodies, and that’s why we will go toward a new approach with belantamab, carfilzomib, ixazomib.
Moreover, I think that pomalidomide-based regimens are going to change the current relapsed and refractory setting. Moreover, novel agents such as belantamab and selinexor are showing their power in heavily pretreated patients and I think that the combinations with these agents are really exciting about the results, but also about tolerability of our patients. In particular, we have seen that the toxicities are not so severe and that treatment with this new approach can be really manageable.
Moreover, I think that we are going toward a new era in which CAR-T and bispecific antibodies are reality and not only a dream. And we are going to see in our daily clinical practice these new opportunities, and I think that the road to the cure of multiple myeloma is not only a dream but it’s going to become reality, thanks to these fantastic results from the last research in multiple myeloma.
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