Dr. Braunstein on the Expanding Armamentarium in Multiple Myeloma

Marc J. Braunstein, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine; course co-director of the Hematology-Oncology System and co-director of the Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Program, NYU Winthrop Hospital of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, discusses the expanding treatment armamentarium in multiple myeloma.

The treatment paradigm for newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma has undergone significant growth over the past 4 to 5 years, says Braunstein. Currently, patients who relapse on first-, second-, or later-line therapies have available options.

Monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated utility in targeting various antigens expressed on the surface of myeloma cells for patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory disease, Braunstein explains. Other targets, such as XPO1 and BCMA, have been useful in developing novel targeted therapies.

Ultimately, the rise of targeted therapy lends itself to more precise and tailored treatment approaches. Future research efforts are needed to determine optimal combination strategies to ensure patients can derive the maximum duration of remission and overall survival from available options, concludes Braunstein.