Dr. Voorhees on Triplet Regimen in Multiple Myeloma

Peter Voorhees, MD, associate professor, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill, Clinical Research, Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma Program, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the triplet regimen of pomalidomide, dexamethasone, and ixazomib in patients with double refractory multiple myeloma.

A phase I study examined the triplet regimen versus pomalidomide/dexamethasone in patients who had received two prior lines of therapy, had lenalidomide-refractory disease, and were refractory to either carfilzomib or bortezomib.

The safety profile of the triplet therapy has been encouraging, Voorhees says. Grade 3/4 adverse events include neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, but are manageable. Nonhematologic toxicities are grade 1/2, he says. The overall response rate for the first 20 evaluable patients is 55%. The triplet will be investigated further with a fourth dose cohort in a randomized phase II study, Voorhees adds.