Dr. Landgren on Novel Approaches Generating Excitement in Myeloma

C. Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, inaugural leader, Experimental Therapeutics Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, discusses novel therapeutic approaches that are generating excitement in multiple myeloma.

Results from the phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 trial (NCT03548207) showed that the CAR T-cell therapy ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) demonstrated sustained efficacy and durable responses in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. For the first time, there is a CAR T-cell therapy for this patient population that is able to induce a median progression-free survival of close to 2 years, according to Landgren. Although the median follow-up time is limited and the sample size is not very large, these data are exciting, Landgren says.

However, other novel therapeutic approaches are also emerging in the treatment paradigm and they may challenge CAR T-cell therapies, Landgren notes. For example, unlike cell therapies, bispecific antibodies do not need to be administered in a hospital, Landgren notes. However, CAR T-cell therapies and natural killer cell therapies may still appeal to patients because they can be given via a single infusion. Overall, there is an opportunity for both cell and antibody therapies for patients with this disease, Landgren concludes.