Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

GlaxoSmithKline’s investigational antibody-drug conjugate, belantamab mafodotin (GSK2857916), demonstrated a clinically meaningful overall response rate in hard-to-treat multiple myeloma patients in a Phase 2 trial, with the trial meeting its primary goal. Findings from the open-label DREAMM-2 study (NCT03525678) — which is assessing the treatment as a…

People in Japan newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma and ineligible for a stem cell transplant can now use a combination of Darzalex (daratumumab) and standard treatment, the companies behind the therapy announced. The approval, by the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, was based on data from the…

The clonoSEQ Assay — a test that detects cancer cells present in very small numbers in a patient’s bone marrow, blood, or tissue sample — now is available to New York residents with multiple myeloma and other B-cell blood cancers. The announcement by Adaptive Biotechnologies follows an approval by…

A Phase 1 trial evaluating Teneobio’s bispecific antibody TNB-383B as a treatment for multiple myeloma has started dosing patients. This safety and tolerability trial is recruiting people with advanced disease, who received at least three prior lines of therapy. The open-label study (NCT03933735) will first test increasing doses…

Allogene Therapeutics is launching the first clinical trial testing ALLO-715, its “off-the-shelf” CAR T-cell therapy, for people with multiple myeloma who failed prior therapies. This follows the recent approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of an investigational new drug (IND) application for ALLO-715.

A genomic rearrangement involving the immunoglobulin lambda (IgL) gene is predictive of resistance to immunomodulatory agents and poor outcomes among multiple myeloma patients, a new study suggests. Testing for this rearrangement of chromosomes may help better stratify patients according to their risk of disease progression and tailor their treatment regimens.

The U.S. Food and Drug Admnistration (FDA) has agreed to review Sanofi’s biologics license application (BLA) for its investigational antibody, isatuximab, as a potential therapy for patients with hard-to-treat multiple myeloma, the company announced. FDA’s final decision about whether to approve isatuximab is expected by April 30, 2020,…

A Phase 1 clinical trial is recruiting patients with hard-to treat or relapsed multiple myeloma to evaluate Mustang Bio’s investigational autologous (patient-derived) CS1-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. The trial (NCT03710421), designed to assess the therapy’s safety and tolerability, is being conducted at the City…

Cellectar Biosciences’ candidate CLR 131 received Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who have failed at least four prior lines of therapy, the company announced. The designation is intended to speed the therapy’s development and review,…

Cellectis announced plans to open a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate UCARTCS1 — its first allogeneic (donor-derived) CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma patients — at several sites in the U.S. The trial, called MUNDI-01, will assess multiple doses of the therapy to determine its safety, cell expansion and persistence,…