Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

When added to a second-line combination therapy, Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) — developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for relapsed or treatment-resistant multiple myeloma — works better than Darzalex (daratumumab) at significantly delaying disease progression or death among…

Safety and response rates with Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel) were seen to vary with race in people with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but overall survival rates were similar between hard-to-treat Black, Hispanic, and white patients, a new U.S. study found. “We see that Black and white patients with multiple…

A gene therapy designed by Kelonia Therapeutics to work as an off-the-shelf or readily available CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma showed early signs of safety and efficacy in mouse models of the disease and in non-human primates. Specifically, in a mouse model, CAR T-cells generated in vivo,…

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is one of the nonprofit organizations awarded the 2022 Amazon Web Services (AWS) IMAGINE Grant, which was established to help harness technology for patients’ needs. IMF was a winner in the Momentum to Modernize category, wherein its efforts to use cloud technology to educate…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review BioLineRx’s application to approve Aphexda, formerly known as motixafortide, as an add-on stem cell mobilization therapy to improve stem cell transplants in people with multiple myeloma. The decision comes about two months after the company submitted a…

Janssen’s Tecvayli (teclistamab) has been approved for certain adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in the U.S., but access is limited due to potential side effects. In particular, the approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is for patients who have received at least four…

Note: This story was updated Sept. 26, 2022, to correct the fact that Abecma is approved for patients in Europe and Japan who have undergone at least three prior therapies, not four as originally stated.  The CAR T-cell therapy Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel) significantly extended survival without signs of disease worsening…

STAR-LLD, an investigational continuous delivery of low doses of lenalidomide into the blood — being developed as a new treatment option for multiple myeloma — was well-tolerated in healthy volunteers in a Phase 1 clinical trial, with no dose-related toxicity or adverse events, data show. Moreover, the treatment…

Xpovio (selinexor) combined with Kyprolis (carfilzomib) and low-dose dexamethasone leads to strong and durable responses in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients, results from a Phase 1/2b trial show. The study, “Once weekly selinexor, carfilzomib and dexamethasone in carfilzomib non-refractory multiple myeloma patients,” was published…

Janssen has submitted an application to regulators in Japan seeking the approval of ciltacabtagene autoleucel, an investigational CAR T-cell therapy also known as cilta-cel, to treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients. The submission to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) specifically asks that…