Project description:The development of several treatment options over the last 2 decades has led to a notable improvement in the survival of patients with multiple myeloma. Despite these advances, the disease remains incurable for most patients. Moreover, standard combinations of alkylating agents, immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies targeting CD38 and corticoids are exhausted relatively fast in a proportion of high-risk patients. Such high-risk patients account for over 20% of cases and currently represent a major unmet medical need. The challenge of drug resistance requires the development of highly active new agents with a radically different mechanism of action. Several immunotherapeutic modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates and T-cell engagers, appear to be promising choices for patients who develop resistance to standard combinations. Chimeric antigen-receptor-modified T cells (CAR-Ts) targeting B-cell maturation antigen have demonstrated encouraging efficacy and an acceptable safety profile compared with alternative options. Multiple CAR-Ts are in early stages of clinical development, but the first phase III trials with CAR-Ts are ongoing for two of them. After the recent publication of the results of a phase II trial confirming a notable efficacy and acceptable safety profile, idecabtagene vicleucel is the first CAR-T to gain regulatory US Food and Drug Administration approval to treat refractory multiple myeloma patients who have already been exposed to antibodies against CD38, proteasome inhibitors, and immunomodulatory agents and who are refractory to the last therapy. Here, we will discuss the preclinical and clinical development of idecabtagene vicleucel and its future role in the changing treatment landscape of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.
Project description:The phase 3 COLUMBA study demonstrated noninferiority of subcutaneous daratumumab (DARA SC) to intravenous daratumumab (DARA IV) in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. We present a subgroup analysis of Asian patients from COLUMBA. Eligible patients had ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug, or were double refractory. Co-primary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR) and maximum trough concentration (Ctrough). Secondary endpoints included rates of infusion-related reactions, progression-free survival, and patient-reported satisfaction with therapy. Sixty-seven Asian patients (DARA SC, n = 30; DARA IV, n = 37) were randomized, including 42 Japanese patients (DARA SC, n = 18; DARA IV, n = 24). Comparable ORRs for DARA SC versus DARA IV were seen in the Asian cohort (66.7% vs 43.2%) and Japanese-only cohort (61.1% vs 54.2%), including patients weighing ≤ 65 kg. Similarity of Ctrough was seen in both Asian and Japanese-only cohorts; the ratio of the geometric mean of the Ctrough concentrations for DARA SC/DARA IV was 143.96% (90% confidence interval (CI), 112.03-185.00%) and 148.02% (90% CI, 113.32-193.34%), respectively. The Asian cohort (both treatment groups) and Japanese-only cohort (DARA SC group) experienced higher rates of grade 3/4 cytopenias compared with the global COLUMBA population, occurring predominantly in patients of low bodyweight; no patients discontinued treatment due to cytopenias. The Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire results generally favored DARA SC. In the Asian and Japanese-only cohorts, DARA SC was comparable to DARA IV. The efficacy, pharmacokinetic, safety, and satisfaction results were generally consistent with the global COLUMBA population regardless of patient bodyweight. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03277105.
Project description:Analysis of intraclonal heterogeneity has yielded insights into the clonal evolution of hematologic malignancies. We compared the clonal and subclonal compositions of the underlying plasma cell dyscrasia in 544 systemic light chain amyloidosis (PC-AL) patients with 519 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), or symptomatic MM; ie, PC-non-AL patients). Using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization, subclones were stringently defined as clone size below two thirds of the largest clone and an absolute difference of ?30%. Subclones were found less frequently in the PC-AL group, at 199 (36.6%) of 544 as compared with 267 (51.4%) of 519 in the PC-non-AL group (P < .001), and were not associated with the stage of plasma cell dyscrasia in either entity. In both groups, translocation t(11;14), other immunoglobulin heavy chain translocations, and hyperdiploidy were typically found as main clones, whereas gain of 1q21 and deletions of 8p21, 13q14, and 17p13 were frequently found as subclones. There were no shifts in the subclone/main clone ratio depending on the MGUS, SMM, or MM stage of plasma cell dyscrasia. In multivariate analysis, t(11;14) was associated with lower rates of subclone formation and hyperdiploidy with higher rates. PC-AL itself lost statistical significance, demonstrating that the lower subclone frequency in AL is a reflection of its exceptionally high t(11;14) frequency. In summary, the subclone patterns in PC-AL and PC-non-AL are closely related, implying that subclone formation depends on the main cytogenetic categories and is independent of disease entity and stage.
Project description:Daratumumab is a human CD38-directed monoclonal antibody approved in the United States as monotherapy for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who have received ?3 prior lines of therapy (LOTs), including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD) or who are double refractory to a PI and an IMiD, and in combination with lenalidomide/dexamethasone or bortezomib/dexamethasone for patients with MM who have received ?1 prior LOT. This study compared the efficacy of daratumumab monotherapy versus historical controls through adjusted treatment comparison. Patient-level data were pooled from two daratumumab monotherapy studies (16 mg/kg; GEN501 and SIRIUS) and two independent US databases (IMS LifeLink and OPTUM), which reflect treatments used in real-world patients with MM who received ?3 prior LOTs or were double refractory to a PI and an IMiD. Using a multivariate proportional hazards regression model, the relative treatment effect of daratumumab versus historical controls was estimated, adjusting for imbalances in characteristics between cohorts. Baseline characteristics that differed between patients treated with daratumumab (N?=?148) and historical control (N?=?658) were prior treatment with pomalidomide (55% vs 15%) or carfilzomib (41% vs 28%) and triple/quadruple refractory status (64% vs 14%). The adjusted overall survival-hazard ratio (OS-HR) for daratumumab versus historical control was 0.33 (95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.46) compared with 0.46 (0.35-0.59) for unadjusted HR. Impact of adjustment was mainly driven by refractory status and prior pomalidomide/carfilzomib exposure. This adjusted treatment comparison suggests that daratumumab demonstrates improved OS compared with historical control data in heavily pretreated and highly refractory MM patients.
Project description:Systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a protein misfolding disorder characterized by the deposition of abnormal immunoglobulin light chains in fibrillary aggregates, resulting in end-organ damage. Several unique challenges face treating physicians, including delayed diagnosis, advanced vital organ involvement, and morbidity with treatment. Aggressive supportive care and risk-adapted application of plasma cell-directed therapies are the cornerstones of management. The therapeutic revolution in multiple myeloma will likely further expand the arsenal against plasma cells. Careful investigation of these agents will be critical to establish their role in this fragile population. The promise of fibril-directed therapies to restore organ function remains despite early disappointments. In this review, we discuss new therapies to tackle AL amyloidosis using a case-based approach.
Project description:BackgroundRadium-223 is a bone-targeting radiopharmaceutical that extends survival in mCRPC. Postapproval data are limited, and the value of biochemical and radiologic monitoring during radium therapy is unknown.Patients and methodsWe conducted a retrospective study of 29 patients with mCRPC who received radium-223 at 1 of 3 participating institutions between August 2013 and December 2014. Trend of PSA, radiographic changes, and association of biochemical and clinical variables with PSA trend were measured.ResultsThe median age of patients was 70 years, 79% of patients (N = 23) were European Americans, and 17% of patients (N = 5) were African Americans. Twenty patients (69%) had received at least 3 lines of prior therapies. Some 38% of patients (N = 11) received all 6 cycles of radium-223. Twenty patients (69%) had an increase in PSA during radium therapy, and 4 patients (14%) had a decline in PSA levels. Five patients had visceral metastases on computed tomography imaging performed during the course of radium-223.ConclusionsRadium therapy in mCRPC was associated with an increase in PSA in the majority of these heavily pretreated patients. The development of visceral disease was not uncommon, suggesting a need for follow-up computed tomography monitoring during radium-223 therapy. The significance of early increases in PSA and pain with radium-223 is still uncertain. Although pain and PSA flare have been reported in patients who subsequently have a dramatic response to therapy, we observed that a PSA increase or pain flare correlates to an improvement in bone scans only in a minority of patients.
Project description:The outcomes in systemic AL amyloidosis are dependent on the depth of haematologic response. However, there is limited data on the impact of the speed of response on outcomes. Here we report the impact of speed of response in a cohort of AL patients treated with upfront Bortezomib. Patients seen from February 2010 until August 2019 are included in the present analysis. 1194 & 1133 patients comprised the ITT and 1-month landmark cohorts. In the landmark cohort, 137 (11.5%), 270 (22.6%), 252 (21.1%) and 352 (31.1%) patients had a CR, VGPR, PR and NR at 1-month. Patients with ≥ VGPR at 1-month had significantly better survival (median not reached; at the end of 1, 2, 5,10 years, 87%/92%, 83%/87%, 68%/72% and 63%/58% of patients in CR/VGPR, respectively, were alive) compared to those with a PR (median OS 60 months) or NR (median OS 32 months) (p < 0.005). At 1-month, patients with CR and iFLC < 20 mg/l had a significantly better survival compared to CR and iFLC > 20 mg/l (p = 0.005). Reaching ≥ VGPR at 1-month significantly improved survival in all Mayo disease stages. In conclusion, patients achieving an early deep haematologic response have a significantly superior survival irrespective of cardiac involvement.
Project description:In amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis, a small B-cell clone, most commonly a plasma cell clone, produces monoclonal light chains that exert organ toxicity and deposit in tissue in the form of amyloid fibrils. Organ involvement determines the clinical manifestations, but symptoms are usually recognized late. Patients with disease diagnosed at advanced stages, particularly when heart involvement is present, are at high risk of death within a few months. However, symptoms are always preceded by a detectable monoclonal gammopathy and by elevated biomarkers of organ involvement, and hematologists can screen subjects who have known monoclonal gammopathy for amyloid organ dysfunction and damage, allowing for a presymptomatic diagnosis. Discriminating patients with other forms of amyloidosis is difficult but necessary, and tissue typing with adequate technology available at referral centers, is mandatory to confirm AL amyloidosis. Treatment targets the underlying clone and should be risk adapted to rapidly administer the most effective therapy patients can safely tolerate. In approximately one-fifth of patients, autologous stem cell transplantation can be considered up front or after bortezomib-based conditioning. Bortezomib can improve the depth of response after transplantation and is the backbone of treatment of patients who are not eligible for transplantation. The daratumumab+bortezomib combination is emerging as a novel standard of care in AL amyloidosis. Treatment should be aimed at achieving early and profound hematologic response and organ response in the long term. Close monitoring of hematologic response is vital to shifting nonresponders to rescue treatments. Patients with relapsed/refractory disease are generally treated with immune-modulatory drugs, but daratumumab is also an effective option.
Project description:CD138-selected marrow plasma cells from newly diagnosed AL patients were studied for cyclin D1 expression. We identified patients whose plasma cells overexpressed cyclin D1 and compared them to those whose cells did not.