Multiple Myeloma

Kathryn Maples, PharmD, BCOP, highlights recent approvals, and updated labeling, along with drug removals, across leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

Patients with myeloma who reported that their disease was incurable had lower quality of life. However, many patients may also have misconceptions about the curability of their disease.

The FDA has approved idecabtagene vicleucel as the first BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma after 4 or more prior lines of therapy, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.

The FDA approved melphalan flufenamide (Pepaxto; melflufen) plus dexamethasone for adults with triple-refractory multiple myeloma.

CAR T-cell therapy may change the treatment paradigm for relapsed/refractory myeloma.

Although many patients will eventually relapse, the first remission is the deepest, according to one expert.

The FDA has issued a clinical hold on the phase 1 MELANI-01 trial evaluating the CAR T-cell product UCARTCS1A in the treatment of patient with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, according to Cellectis, the manufacturer of the product.

Caregivers of patients with multiple myeloma face similar challenges to those faced by the patients themselves.