Hematologic Malignancies

San Diego, CA—The addition of venetoclax (Venclexta) to bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone yields high response rates in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, especially in patients with disease that is not refractory to bortezomib and who received 1 to 3 previous lines of therapy, according to findings presented by Philippe Moreau, MD, Department of Hematology, Nantes University Hospital, France, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting.

Interim results from a phase 1b study indicate that the investigational monoclonal antibody isatuximab, in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, achieves responses in >50% of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, including those with disease refractory to immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs).

Adding the recently approved daratumumab (Darzalex), a human, CD38-directed monoclonal antibody, to a standard regimen of bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone improved progression-free survival (PFS) by >60% compared with the standard regimen in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, according to Antonio Palumbo, MD, Chief of the Multiple Myeloma Unit, University of Torino, Italy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells have saved lives in some patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who had run out of other treatment options. This type of immunotherapy is making inroads in other hematologic malignancies as well, but it is still being studied in very sick patients.

A durable complete response was achieved in a high proportion of adults with refractory B-cell malignancies who received CD19+ chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells made up of a defined 1:1 ratio of CD8+ and CD4+ cells.

Daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone achieved a 63% reduction in progression-free survival (PFS) compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone in patients with multiple myeloma who had received at least 1 previous line of therapy, according to study results presented at the 2016 European Hematology Association Annual Congress meeting.