Dr. Usmani on Importance of CASTOR/POLLUX Trials in Myeloma

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Levine Cancer Institute/Carolinas HealthCare System, discusses the importance of the CASTOR and POLLUX trials for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma.

The CASTOR and POLLUX trials are likely among the most exciting trials in the field of multiple myeloma, Usmani explains. As a result of those 2 trials, daratumumab (Darzalex) was approved by the FDA for relapsed patients with myeloma. The phase III POLLUX and CASTOR studies explored the addition of daratumumab to lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone or bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone, respectively.

Findings from both trials demonstrated that daratumumab can be combined with either an immunomodulatory agent or an proteasome inhibitor in the relapsed setting, and that the addition of daratumumab is superior than either of the 2 drugs alone.