MULTIPLE MYELOMA

According to recently published results of the&nbsp;international, double-blind randomized phase III 482 Study&nbsp;in&nbsp;<em>The Lancet Oncology,&nbsp;</em>^&nbsp;denosumab was noninferior to zoledronic acid (Zometa) in preventing skeletal-related event in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

In a phase Ib/II dose escalation study, rapid and tolerable responses were seen with the combination of selinexor, daratumumab, and low-dose dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who were previously exposed to immunomodulatory and proteasome inhibitors.<br /> &nbsp;

Overall survival was extended for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma by nearly 8 months with the&nbsp;combination of carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone compared with&nbsp;lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone in results from the phase III ASPIRE trial.

Patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma&nbsp;who had prior exposure to lenalidomide (Revlimid) experienced a significant improvement in&nbsp;progression-free survival with pomalidomide (Pomalyst) added to the combination of bortezomib (Velcade) and low-dose dexamethasone,&nbsp;according to findings from the phase III OPTIMISMM trial.

Phyllis McKiernan, a nurse practitioner at John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack Medical Center, discusses a study of outcomes of autologous stem cell transplantation in very elderly patients with multiple myeloma.

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, Chief of the Plasma Cell Disorders Program, Levine Cancer Institute/Carolinas HealthCare System, discusses the MMprofiler in multiple myeloma.

Based on findings from the&nbsp;ALCYONE study,&nbsp;which were published in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em> and presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting,^&nbsp;the FDA has granted a priority review designation to&nbsp;daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with bortezomib (Velcade), melphalan, and prednisone for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

The FDA has issued its approval for overall survival data from the&nbsp;phase III ENDEAVOR trial to be added&nbsp;to the&nbsp;carfilzomib (Kyprolis) label&nbsp;for use in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

C. Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with multiple myeloma. Landgren, chief of the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in New York, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology</em>&nbsp;live case-based peer perspectives dinner.

According to an updated analysis of the POLLUX trial, progression-free survival remained superior&nbsp;over time in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with&nbsp;combination therapy that included the anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab.

Andrew L. Pecora, MD, President of the Physician Services Division and Chief Innovation Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health, discusses preliminary safety and efficacy data for combined checkpoint inhibition with ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) as consolidation therapy following autologous stem cell transplant in patients with multiple myeloma and non-Hodkin lymphoma.

Multiple Myeloma

Based on data from the phase III 482 study, denosumab (Xgeva) has been granted FDA approval for&nbsp;the prevention of skeletal-related events in patients with multiple myeloma, according to Amgen, the developer of the RANK ligand inhibitor.

Mark W. Bustoros, MD, a postdoctoral fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, discusses ongoing research exploring the use of liquid biopsies in patients with smoldering multiple myeloma.

The proteasome inhibitor ixazomib has received a recommendation from the United Kingdom&#39;s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Rapid and durable responses were induced with the combination of selinexor, weekly bortezomib (Velcade), and low-dose dexamethasone (Vd), according to results of a dose escalation/expansion trial of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.

Joshua Richter, MD, Hackensack University Medical Center, discusses a tool which explored the incidence and survival impact of self-reported symptoms and psychologic distress among patients with multiple myeloma during the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.

Daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with VMP (bortezomib [Velcade], melphalan, and prednisone) could become a new standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are unable to undergo transplant following findings from the phase III ALCYONE study.

Following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for patients with multiple myeloma, maintenance therapy of elotuzumab (Empliciti) in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) led to an increased rate of response conversions from prior induction therapy, according to the results of a phase II study.&nbsp;

In the final analysis of the phase III ASPIRE trial, an improvement in survival was confirmed with the combination of&nbsp;carfilzomib (Kyprolis), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and dexamethasone for patients with&nbsp;relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, according to findings presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.

Cristina Gasparetto, MD, associate professor, head of the myeloma program, Duke University Medical Center, discusses a phase 1b study to assess the combination of selinexor and daratumumab in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma previously exposed to proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs during the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.

In findings from the phase II CENTAURUS clinical trial, treatment with&nbsp;daratumumab&nbsp;(Darzalex) monotherapy produced lasting responses in patients with&nbsp;intermediate- and high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM).&nbsp;

A novel approach to treatment for patients with smoldering multiple myeloma demonstrated a high rate of complete responses, according to a study presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.&nbsp;The single-arm, phase II trial evaluated a strategy using induction therapy with carfilzomib (Kyprolis), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and dexamethasone followed by high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation, consolidation therapy and then maintenance therapy with lenalidomide and dexamethasone.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy with bb2121 demonstrated an objective response rate of 94% in patients with&nbsp;relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, according to findings from a dose-escalation study. The senior study author, James N. Kochenderfer, MD, presented updated findings from the study during the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting, and commented that 89% of patients had a very good partial response or better, and 56% of patients had a complete remission.&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;