scholarly journals Multiple Myeloma: Clinical Updates from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Scientific Symposium 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3626
Author(s):  
Srinivas Devarakonda ◽  
Francesca Cottini ◽  
Naresh Bumma ◽  
Abdullah Khan ◽  
Nidhi Sharma ◽  
...  

The novel clinical data for plasma cell neoplasms (smoldering myeloma, multiple myeloma, and AL amyloidosis) that were presented in the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology virtual scientific symposium are summarized here. Data from large phase-3 studies (CASSIOPEIA, ENDURANCE, and TOURMALINE-MM4 trials) and phase-2 studies (SWOG 1211, GMMG CONCEPT trials) for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation are described. Updates from previous important studies for multiple myeloma (STaMINA) along with studies on three different chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-) T cell products are also described. Results of clinical studies involving the use of anti-myeloma drugs with novel mechanisms of action such as immunoconjugates, selinexor, venetoclax, monoclonal antibodies, and data on minimal residual disease (MRD) are discussed. These data provide an overview of the efficacy and safety of the various treatments in multiple myeloma and could lead to changes in our clinical practice, which could pave the path for a “cure” in myeloma.

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1221
Author(s):  
Raquel Lopes ◽  
Bruna Velosa Ferreira ◽  
Joana Caetano ◽  
Filipa Barahona ◽  
Emilie Arnault Carneiro ◽  
...  

Despite the improvement of patient’s outcome obtained by the current use of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors or anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies, multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease. More recently, the testing in clinical trials of novel drugs such as anti-BCMA CAR-T cells, antibody–drug conjugates or bispecific antibodies broadened the possibility of improving patients’ survival. However, thus far, these treatment strategies have not been able to steadily eliminate all malignant cells, and the aim has been to induce a long-term complete response with minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative status. In this sense, approaches that target not only myeloma cells but also the surrounding microenvironment are promising strategies to achieve a sustained MRD negativity with prolonged survival. This review provides an overview of current and future strategies used for immunomodulation of MM focusing on the impact on bone marrow (BM) immunome.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 5-6
Author(s):  
Israr Khan ◽  
Abdul Rafae ◽  
Anum Javaid ◽  
Zahoor Ahmed ◽  
Haifza Abeera Qadeer ◽  
...  

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell disorder and demonstrates overexpression of B cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Our objective is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) against BCMA in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search using PubMed, Cochrane, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Embase databases. We also searched for data from society meetings. A total of 935 articles were identified, and 610 were screened for relevance. Results: Data from thirty-one original studies with a total of 871 patients (pts) were included based on defined eligibility criteria, see Table 1. Hu et al. reported an overall response rate (ORR) of 100% in 33 pts treated with BCMA CAR-T cells including 21 complete response (CR), 7 very good partial response (VGPR), 4 partial response (PR). Moreover, 32 pts achieved minimal residual disease (MRD) negative status. Chen et al. reported ORR of 88%, 14% CR, 6% VGPR, and 82% MRD negative status with BCMA CAR-T therapy in 17 RRMM pts. In another clinical trial by Han et al. BCMA CAR-T therapy demonstrated an ORR of 100% among 7 evaluable pts with 43% pts having ≥ CR and 14% VGPR. An ORR of 100% with 64% stringent CR (sCR) and 36% VGPR was reported with novel anti-BCMA CART cells (CT103A). Similarly, Li et al. reported ORR of 87.5%, sCR of 50%, VGPR 12.5%, and PR 25% in 16 pts. BCMA targeting agent, JNJ-4528, showed ORR of 91%, including 4sCR, 2CR, 10MRD, and 7VGPR. CAR-T- bb2121 demonstrated ORR of 85%, sCR 36%, CR 9%, VGPR 57%, and MRD negativity of 100% (among 16 responsive pts). GSK2857916, a BCMA targeting CAR-T cells yielded ORR of 60% in both clinical trials. Three studies utilizing bispecific CART cells targeting both BCMA & CD38 (LCARB38M) reported by Zhao et al., Wang et al., and Fan et al. showed ORR of 88%, 88%, & 100% respectively. Topp et al. reported ORR of 31% along with 5 ≥CR and 5 MRD negative status in 42 pts treated with Bi T-cells Engager BiTE® Ab BCMA targeting antigen (AMG420). One clinical trial presented AUTO2 CART cells therapy against BCMA with an ORR of 43%, VGPR of 14%, and PR of 28%. CT053CAR-BCMA showed 14sCR and 5CR with a collective ORR of 87.5% and MRD negative status of 85% in 24 and 20 evaluable pts, respectively. Likewise, Mikkilineni et al. reported an ORR of 83%, sCR of 16.7%, and VGPR & PR of 25% and 41% in 12 pts treated with FHVH-BCMA T cells. Similar results are also reported in other clinical trials of BCMA targeting CART therapy (Table 1). The most common adverse effects exhibited were grade 1-3 hematologic (cytopenia) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) (mostly reversible with tocilizumab). Conclusion: Initial data from ongoing clinical trials using BCMA targeting CAR-T therapy have yielded promising results both in terms of improved outcome and tolerable toxicity profiles. Although two phase 3 trails are ongoing, additional data is warranted to further ensure the safety and efficacy of anti-BCMA CAR-T cells therapy in pts with RRMM for future use. Disclosures Anwer: Incyte, Seattle Genetics, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie Pharma, Astellas Pharma, Celegene, Millennium Pharmaceuticals.: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.


Hemato ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 680-691
Author(s):  
Monique C. Minnema ◽  
Rimke Oostvogels ◽  
Reinier Raymakers ◽  
Margot Jak

Although there are similarities in the treatment paradigms between AL amyloidosis and multiple myeloma, there are also fundamental differences. A similarity is of course the use of anti-plasma cell drugs in both diseases; however, the most serious mistake a hemato-oncologist can make is to use the same treatment schedule in dosing and frequency in AL amyloidosis patients as in multiple myeloma patients. AL amyloidosis patients with >10% bone marrow plasma cell infiltration in particular are at risk of receiving a more intensive treatment than they can tolerate. This difference in dosing and frequency is true for many anti-clonal drugs, but it is most apparent in the use of high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation. While in multiple myeloma in the age group of ≤70 years, more than 80% of patients are fit enough to receive this intensive treatment, this is the case in less than 20% of AL amyloidosis patients. A similarity is the alignment in the goal of treatment. Although in AL amyloidosis has long been recognized that the goal should be complete hematological remission, this has become more apparent in multiple myeloma in recent years. A common goal in the coming years will be to evaluate the role of minimal residual disease to improve survival in both diseases.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 4867
Author(s):  
Kazuhito Suzuki ◽  
Kaichi Nishiwaki ◽  
Shingo Yano

Improving the immunological environment and eradicating minimal residual disease (MRD) are the two main treatment goals for long-term survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), monoclonal antibody drugs (MoAbs), and autologous grafts for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can improve the immunological microenvironment. ASCT, MoAbs, and proteasome inhibitors (PIs) may be important for the achievement of MRD negativity. An improved immunological environment may be useful for maintaining MRD negativity, although the specific treatment for persistent MRD negativity is unknown. However, whether the ongoing treatment should be continued or changed if the MRD status remains positive is controversial. In this case, genetic, immunophenotypic, and clinical analysis of residual myeloma cells may be necessary to select the effective treatment for the residual myeloma cells. The purpose of this review is to discuss the MM treatment strategy to “cure MM” based on currently available therapies, including IMiDs, PIs, MoAbs, and ASCT, and expected immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, via improvement of the immunological environment and maintenance of MRD negativity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Ewelina Kudyba ◽  
Tomasz Wróbel

Plasma cell neoplasms constitute a large group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of a single clone of plasmocytes and production of monoclonal protein which may be present in patient’s serum in the form of intact immunoglobulins, free light immunoglobulin chains, or both of these molecules simultaneously. In addition to the methods commonly used for years for the determination of the protein such as protein electrophoresis or immunofixation, clinical standards in the last decade included the test for determining the concentration of κ and λ free light chains in serum. The test profile mentioned above has been complemented by a new method for identifying and determining the concentration of immunoglobulins with the possibility of recognizing the binding between pairs of heavy chains γ, α, μ and κ or λ light chains of immunoglobulins. It gives the opportunity to differentiate separately Ig’κ and Ig’λ molecules in each immunoglobulin class. Quantification of these sensitive and specific markers is used for the early diagnosis of the disease and it also provides the ability to accurately monitor the treatment, evaluate minimal residual disease and detect early the recurrence of monoclonal gammopathy like multiple myeloma.


Hematology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Facon

Abstract Despite many recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma, the course of the disease is characterized by a repeating pattern of periods of remission and relapse as patients cycle through the available treatment options. Evidence is mounting that long-term maintenance therapy may help suppress residual disease after definitive therapy, prolonging remission and delaying relapse. For patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), lenalidomide maintenance therapy has been shown to improve progression-free survival (PFS); however, it is still unclear whether this translates into extended overall survival (OS). For patients ineligible for ASCT, continuous therapy with lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone was shown to improve PFS and OS (interim analysis) compared with a standard, fixed-duration regimen of melphalan, prednisone, and thalidomide in a large phase 3 trial. Other trials have also investigated thalidomide and bortezomib maintenance for ASCT patients, and both agents have been evaluated as continuous therapy for those who are ASCT ineligible. However, some important questions regarding the optimal regimen and duration of therapy must be answered by prospective clinical trials before maintenance therapy, and continuous therapy should be considered routine practice. This article reviews the available data on the use of maintenance or continuous therapy strategies and highlights ongoing trials that will help to further define the role of these strategies in the management of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.


Author(s):  
Eberhard Gunsilius

SummaryThe meeting focused in particular on new strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells and bispecific antibodies. Updates of clinical trials regarding induction treatment in transplantable and non-transplantable status were presented. Furthermore, minimal residual disease negativity (MRD) or, in other words, a status characterized by no measurable disease, using standardized multicolor-flow cytometry or next-generation sequencing techniques becomes increasingly important as an endpoint in clinical trials. A subjectively assessed overview of the current contributions to the treatment of multiple myeloma is given here.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19536-e19536
Author(s):  
Afia Ashraf ◽  
Udhayvir Singh Grewal ◽  
Prem Thirunagari ◽  
Ahsan Wahab ◽  
Ammara Majeed ◽  
...  

e19536 Background: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous disease. High Risk (HR) MM is defined as the presence of abnormal cytogenetics i.e. t(4:14), t(14:16), t(14:20), del(17/17p), non hyperdiploidy and gain (1q). HR MM is a treatment challenge. We aim to explore efficacy of anti-myeloma therapy for newly diagnosed (ND) and relapsed/refractory (RR) HR MM. Methods: We used Pubmed, Ebsco and MBASE to select 18 trials with outcome data on ND (n = 598) and RR(n = 726) HR MM (n = 1321), after extensive review, treatment efficacy (CR, VGPR, ORR) and survival (mPFS, OS) data was extracted. Results: In HR MM the range of overall response rate (ORR) was 31%-100% (Standard Risk (SR): 56%-94.7%), complete response (CR) was 10%-58.3% (SR: 7%-38.1%) and very good partial response (VGPR) was 15%-88.3% (SR: 25%-63%). In ND HR patients, range of ORR was 71.2% - 86.2% (SR: 71.2% - 91.7%) and CR was 35% - 58.3% (SR: 22%-35%) and median progression free survival (mPFS) was 18 months (m) - 31.3m (SR: 31.3m – Not Reached). In RR HR patients, range of ORR was 31% – 85.2% (SR: 56%-94.7%) and CR was 10%-29.2% (SR: 7%-38.1%) and mPFS was 3.3m - 23.1m (SR: 4m - Not Reached). In RR HR MM, Daratumumab ( Dara) , lenalidomide (R) and dexamethasone (d) combination resulted in highest minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity 21.4%. In RR HR, Carfilzomib (Car)- R-d resulted in the longest mPFS of 23.1m (SR: 29.6m) followed by (Dara)-R-d of 22.6m (SR:NR) and Ixazomib (I)- R-d of 21.4m (SR:20.6). In ND HR, Bortezomib (V) with thalidomide (T)- d resulted in longest mPFS of 23.5m (SR: NR) and OS of 56.6m followed by Cyclophosphamide (Cy)-T-d of 20m (SR:34m) and (Dara)-V- Melphalan(M) and Prednisone of 18m (SR:NR). Quadruplet therapy in ND with Cy- V – d with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin resulted in the highest CR 58.3% and mPFS of 31.3m (~8m longer). Conclusions: Cytogenetically HR MM achieved high ORR, CR and VGPR similar to SR MM yet, the PFS and OS in HR (mPFS: 11.2m - 31.3m) was significantly shorter than SR (mPFS: 19m - Not Reached) representing poor prognosis. Promising strategies and targeted therapies that are currently evolving include antibody based combination therapy (3 or 4 drugs), various CAR-T cells constructs, targeted inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 929-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunrui Li ◽  
Jue Wang ◽  
Di Wang ◽  
Guang Hu ◽  
Yongkun Yang ◽  
...  

Background: Previous studies indicate that patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who receive BCMA-targeting CAR-T cells may achieve better remission but have a higher relapse rate. Persistence of CAR T cells post-infusion may be one determinant of the duration of response. Moreover, once the disease progresses again, the re-infusion of CAR-T cells is not effective. To solve this dilemma, we have developed a novel BCMA-targeting CAR-T (CT103A) with a lentiviral vector containing a CAR structure with a fully human scFv, CD8a hinger, and transmembrane, 4-1BB co-stimulatory and CD3z activation domains. Methods: ChiCTR1800018137 is a single-center and single-arm trial of CT103A in patients with RRMM (≥ 3 prior lines, including a proteasome inhibitor and an IMiD, or double refractory). The primary objectives are the incidence of adverse events (AEs), including dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). The secondary objectives are the duration of clinical response, evaluation of minimal residual disease (MRD), progression-free and overall survival, and CAR-T cell persistence in blood. Between September 21, 2018, and August 1st, 2019, sixteen patients (including 4 patients having relapsed after being given a murine BCMA CAR-T and 5 patients having extramedullary disease and/or plasma cell leukemia) received CT103A in 3+3 dose-escalation trial (four doses at 1, 3, 6, 8 ×106/kg) after a conditioning chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine. Median follow-up after CT103A infusion was 195 days (23 to 314 days) and all 16 patients were evaluable for initial (14 days) clinical response. Results: As of August 1st, 2019, the objective response rate was 100%, 6/16 patients achieved CR/sCR within two weeks post-infusion and all 8 patients surpassing 6 months achieved VGPR/CR/sCR. CR/sCR was 75%, and VGPR was 25% for these 8 patients, according to the IMWG Uniform Response Criteria for MM. In 4 patients who have participated in a prior CAR-T trial, three have achieved sCR, and 1 achieved VGPR. All 15 patients who could be evaluated for minimal residual disease (MRD) had MRD-negative status (≤10-4 nucleated cells by flow). The circulating CT103A cells were detected in the blood by flow and digital polymerase chain reaction, peaking at 14 days (ranging from 9 to 25), and remaining detectable in 12/16 patients, at the time of their last evaluation. Patient #1 (the first patient treated) has now exceeded 314 days of CART persistence, post-infusion. All sixteen patients developed cytokine release syndrome (according to ASBMT Consensus Grading for Cytokine Release Syndrome and Neurological Toxicity Associated with Immune Effector Cells: 10 Grade 1-2, 5 Grade 3,1 Grade 4). A grade 4 CRS appeared at the 6×106 /kg dose level and was considered as a dose-limiting toxicity DLT. No neurotoxicity was observed in all dose groups. One patient died of a lung infection 19 days post-infusion. Conclusions: Data from this early-stage clinical study showed the unparalleled safety and efficacy of CT103A in heavily pretreated R/R multiple myeloma patients. Highly active (ORR 100%) and rapid response within two weeks, suggests CT103A could be developed as a competitive therapy to treat patients with RRMM. Disclosures Hu: Nanjing Iaso Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd..: Employment. Yang:Nanjing Iaso Biotherapeutics Co.: Employment. Zhou:Nanjing Iaso Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd.: Other: Chairman of Advisory Committee of Science and Medicine .


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. LeBlanc ◽  
K. Song ◽  
D. White ◽  
A. Christofides ◽  
S. Doucette

The 2019 annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Hematology Association took place, respectively, in Chicago, Illinois, 31 May–4 June, and in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 13–16 June. At the meetings, results from key studies on the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma with high-risk cytogenetics were presented. Our meeting report describes those studies and includes interviews with investigators and commentaries by Canadian hematologists about the potential impact on Canadian practice.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document