Dr. Yee on Trials Evaluating Treatment in Lenalidomide-Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Andrew Yee, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, hematologist/oncologist, Center for Multiple Myeloma, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses trials evaluating treatment for patients with lenalidomide (Revlimid)-refractory multiple myeloma.

In the phase 3 OPTIMISMM trial, the overall response rate was 82.2% with the triplet combination of pomalidomide (Pomalyst), bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone compared with 50.0% with bortezomib/dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who received 1 to 3 prior lines of therapy, including a lenalidomide-containing regimen.

Additionally, the median progression-free survival was 11.2 months with the triplet versus 7.1 months with the doublet (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.49-0.77; P <.0001).

The results of the OPTIMISMM trial have opened the door for other pomalidomide-containing triplet regimens in this space, concludes Yee.