Multiple Myeloma Hub

During the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Timothy Schmidt, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, US. We asked, How is the immune reconstitution in patients who stop therapy after achieving minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity?In this interview, Schmidt discusses their poster presented at ASH 2022 entitled: Humoral immune reconstitution following therapy with daratumumab, carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Dara-KRd), autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) and MRD-response-adapted treatment cessation. Schmidt discusses this post hoc analysis of the MASTER trial, examining the markers for humoral immune reconstitution amongst patients who were able to cease therapy, based on two successive MRD-negative assessments. Moving forward, Schmidt goes on to outline the results of humoral immune reconstitution based on whether patients ceased therapy following transplant or after transplant and Dara-KRd consolidation. Schmidt concludes by considering the potential of replicating this method of analysis in other studies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Vania Tietsche de Moraes Hungria, Clínica São Germano, São Paulo, BR. We asked, What are the main discrepancies between multiple myeloma (MM) treating centers in Brazil?In this podcast, Hungria discusses their poster presented at ASH 2022 entitled: A Brazilian real-life experience of multiple myeloma patients: Final results from the Mmybrave multi-center study.In particular, Hungria discusses the setting of this research, looking at the differences in the characteristics and overall survival of patients with MM in Brazil, considering the treatment center type, i.e., public or private institutions. Hungria considers the difference in access to drugs and the implications this may have on patients, and concludes by looking to the future for the improvement of treatment for all patients with MM in Brazil.To find out more about this research study, read the Multiple Myeloma Hub summary here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Meral Beksac, Ankara University, Ankara, TR. We asked, What are the initial data of dara-CyBorD in patients with extramedullary disease?In this podcast, Beksac discusses their poster presented at ASH 2022 entitled: Efficacy of daratumumab combined with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients presenting with extramedullary disease: a European Myeloma Network study. Beksac outlines the methods and motivations for this phase II open-label study, including the unmet need for patients with para-skeletal plasmacytomas, and concludes by discussing the study results in terms of progression-free survival, safety, and efficacy, and comparing these results with the previous LYRA study. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 19th International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Roman Hájek, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, CZ. We asked, Which patients might benefit the most from isatuximab-based combinations in the relapsed setting?Hájek begins by explaining that isatuximab is an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody currently approved for treatment in combination with pomalidomide + dexamethasone or carfilzomib + dexamethasone. This is followed by a discussion on why these combinations may be helpful for patients previously exposed or refractory to lenalidomide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During a meeting of the Multiple Myeloma Hub Steering Committee on April 26, 2022, María‑Victoria Mateos chaired a recorded discussion that also featured Nina Shah, Paul Richardson, Morie Gertz, and Heinz Ludwig. The topic of this discussion was “Integrating B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed agents in the treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma”, which was identified as an unmet need within multiple myeloma treatment.Mateos begins the discussion by posing the question of how to integrate chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell and other BCMA-directed products into clinical practice. Shah discusses the problems of CAR T-cell product availability, as well as the potential of bispecific therapies as they are more readily available. Richardson talks about antibody—drug conjugates (ADCs) and combination therapies, and the risk of keratopathy with some treatments. The committee discuss the convenience of ADCs and the potential of combinations using bispecific therapies and ADCs, with Gertz mentioning the exclusion of some patient subgroups from CAR T-cell trials, meaning bispecifics may be the best alternative for these individuals. Finally, Ludwig talks about the importance of more data becoming available to evaluate the use of BCMA-directed agents in earlier lines of therapy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During a meeting of the Multiple Myeloma Hub Steering Committee on April 26, 2022, Morie Gertz chaired a recorded discussion that also featured María-Victoria Mateos, Nina Shah, Paul Richardson, and Elena Zamagni. The topic of this discussion was “The role of consolidation after autologous stem cell transplantation”, which was identified as an unmet educational need within multiple myeloma treatment.Gertz begins the discussion by explaining that patients often have confusion over what consolidation therapy is and when it can be used. Mateos then discusses how the number of induction therapy cycles a patient receives can affect the use of consolidation. Richardson talks about the STAMINA trial and how tolerability posttransplant can affect treatment choices, with Shah commenting on the difficulty of replicating trials in the real-world setting. The committee then discuss how historically in trials, the same drug that was used in induction is used as consolidation, and what the potential results would be if a different drug was used for consolidation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the ASCO 2022 Congress, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Roberto Mina, University of Turin, Turin, IT, and Andrzej J. Jakubowiak, The University of Chicago, Chicago, US. We asked, What are the pros and cons of bispecific antibodies for multiple myeloma? Mina and Jakubowiak discuss the MajesTEC-1 and MagnetisMM-1 trials, the efficacy and response rates of bispecific antibodies, and the challenges of using bispecific antibodies, such as infection risk. They also compare bispecific antibodies to CAR T-cell therapies and talk about the sequencing of therapies in myeloma treatment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 3rd European Myeloma Network Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak with María-Victoria Mateos, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, ES. We asked, How can bispecific antibodies be combined with monoclonal antibodies to treat relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma?Mateos begins by giving an overview of the bispecific antibodies, talquetamab and teclistamab. These antibodies have been investigated in combination with daratumumab in two clinical trials; Mateos provides a summary of the results of these trials, including the safety and efficacy data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Jacob Laubach, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US, and Peter Voorhees, Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, US. We asked, Daratumumab as maintenance therapy for transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM): What have we learned from GRIFFIN and CASSIOPEIA trials?In this podcast, Laubach and Voorhees discuss the findings from the randomized phase II GRIFFIN trial (NCT02874742) and the CASSIOPEIA trial (NCT02541383). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 18th International Myeloma Workshop, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke with Michel Delforge, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BE and Noopur Raje, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, US. In this podcast, they discuss the topic: Managing infections with novel immunotherapies: Prevention, treatment, and impact on the quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma.Raje and Delforge discuss the management of infections with novel immunotherapies, including: monoclonal antibodies, antivirals, risk of infection, intravenous immunoglobulin, and the impact of COVID-19. This podcast closely links to our latest editorial theme, in which the Multiple Myeloma Hub explores how to manage adverse events from novel agents, with our first article examining proteasome inhibitors and cardiovascular events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy), the Multiple Myeloma Hub hosted its first Satellite Symposium: Should 'cure' be the goal for multiple myeloma?This podcast captures the roundtable discussion with Mohamad Mohty, Hôpital Saint-Antoine and Sorbonne University (Paris, FR), María-Victoria Mateos, University Hospital of Salamanca (Salamanca, ES), and Sagar Lonial, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Atlanta, US), and includes the concluding remarks of the Satellite Symposium as a whole. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy), the Multiple Myeloma Hub hosted its first Satellite Symposium: Should 'cure' be the goal for multiple myeloma? Vincent Rajkumar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US, discussed: Treating elderly and frail patients with MM: Cure versus disease control.In this podcast, Rajkumar discusses the current standard of treatment for elderly, frail patients (VRd−bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone) and regimens that are currently being tested across various clinical trials to improve upon this standard, such as replacement of bortezomib with carfilzomib or daratumumab, and quadruplet combinations. He then discusses if a cure is really feasible for MM, and highlights some key considerations for a true cure; when treatment is given for a finite time and the disease never returns. He concludes with his recommendations for assessing MM cure in future trials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy), the Multiple Myeloma Hub hosted its first Satellite Symposium: Should 'cure' be the goal for multiple myeloma? Sagar Lonial, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, US, answered: Is transplantation still relevant? If yes, in which context?In this podcast, Lonial describes results from the FORTE (NCT02203643) and IFM 2009 (NCT01191060) trials, which investigated the use of triplet combinations with and without transplant. He warns of the 'siren song' of early MRD negativity that may lead one to believe novel agents are just as good as transplant. Lonial highlights that the focus needs to be on sustained MRD negativity; rates of which were higher in the patients who received a transplant. He also highlights two reasons for the discrepancy seen among early MRD negativity and sustained MRD negativity between patients who received a transplant and those who did not. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 18th International Myeloma Workshop, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke with Eli Muchtar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US and Suzanne Lentzsch, Columbia University, New York, US. We asked, The challenges of monitoring organ response in AL amyloidosis: What has been achieved so far?The podcast focuses on both hematologic and organ response in amyloidosis, as well discussing the findings of a recent study. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy), the Multiple Myeloma Hub hosted its first Satellite Symposium: Should 'cure' be the goal for multiple myeloma? María-Victoria Mateos, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, ES, answered: Is the treatment of high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) the way for achieving the cure?In this podcast, Mateos discusses the progression of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and SMM to MM from a molecular point of view. She explains the 2/20/20 risk stratification model for SMM, and the phase III clinical trials that have demonstrated a benefit in treating patients with high-risk SMM to delay the progression to overt MM. In her road map to cure MM, early treatment of SMM is a crucial step, and she presents two curative approaches being currently investigated in clinical trials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy), the Multiple Myeloma Hub hosted its first Satellite Symposium: Should 'cure' be the goal for multiple myeloma? Mohamad Mohty, Hôpital Saint-Antoine and Sorbonne University, Paris, FR, answered: Does 'cure' have a different meaning in MM?In this podcast, Mohty discusses how the word 'cure' has different implications for young and older patients, and discusses the functional/operational cure for patients with standard- and high-risk disease. Mohty focuses on the importance of sustained MRD negativity on survival and why it should also be monitored by PET-CT. Seeing novel agent combinations reaching unprecedented results, he is hopeful that the cure rates will rise in both young and older patients with MM in the near future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke with Clifton C. Mo and Omar Nadeem, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US. We asked, How to treat first relapse in lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma (MM)?In this podcast, Mo and Nadeem discuss factors to be considered with regimen options for patients with lenalidomide-refractory MM. They discuss cardiac risk factors, lines of therapy, prognosis, and end the podcast on the topic of new agents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the EHA2021 Virtual Congress, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke with Pieter Sonneveld, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, NL. We asked, With the unprecedented results seen with novel therapies, what is needed to overcome the poor prognosis of high-risk multiple myeloma (MM)?In this podcast, Sonneveld discusses trial results presented during EHA2021 on the efficacy of novel treatments for patients with high-risk MM, a patient group associated with poor outcomes and shorter remission rates. He believes that identifying high-risk patients and selecting them for more intensive targeted maintenance treatment could be crucial in preventing relapse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the European School of Haematology (ESH) 3rd How to Diagnose and Treat Multiple Myeloma conference, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Xavier Leleu, Poitiers University Hospital, Poitiers, FR. We asked, When BCMA-directed therapy is not an option, how should we treat late relapse?Leleu discusses three alternatives to anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) directed therapies, including alternative drugs (provided the patient is nonrefractory), enrolment to clinical trials investigating new treatments, and the use of developing agents administered in the context of compassionate use. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 3rd European CAR T-cell Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Professor Philip McCarthy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, US. We asked, What do you need to remember when facing CAR T-cell toxicities? In this podcast, McCarthy discusses the two main chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell toxicities: cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Initially, McCarthy lists what to look out for in terms of symptoms in this highly practical podcast episode. He then describes the timeline for the appearance of these adverse advents and the current treatment strategies that are being used. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 2021 Annual Conference, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Natalie S. Callander, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, US and Shaji K. Kumar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US. We asked, What are the key additions to the new NCCN guidelines for multiple myeloma?Callander and Kumar discuss the inclusion of new diagnostic tools, such as MRD testing, risk-stratification for MM and it's precursor stages, and changes to treatment regimens for newly diagnosed and relapsed MM. Callander also describes an important update for the recommendation of the combination of daratumumab, cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone for the treatment of amyloidosis, providing supporting data from the phase III ANDROMEDA trial. They finish by discussing risk stratification and treatment intervention updates for smoldering MM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 2nd European Myeloma Network Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Professor Graham Jackson, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and Professor Philippe Moreau, CHU de Nantes, Nantes, FR. We asked, If maintenance after induction reduces therapy options at relapse, is it still worth it?Currently, the only approved maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma is lenalidomide. When answering whether this treatment is worth it, Jackson provides meta-analysis results of the CALGB 100104, IFM 2009, and Myeloma XI studies demonstrating improved progression-free survival by around 20−30 months compared with placebo. Jackson and Moreau then discuss alternative treatments in patients who are refractory to lenalidomide, focusing on optimizing carfilzomib + dexamethasone, daratumumab, bortezomib + dexamethasone, and pomalidomide + dexamethasone-based regimens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Elisabet E. Manasanch, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US, and Taxiarchis Kourelis, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US. They discuss new findings regarding the role of the immune microenvironment presented at ASH 2020In this podcast, Manasanch and Kourelis describe two studies on immune microenvironment changes in myeloma. The first study is a preliminary analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow samples from patients with smoldering myeloma. This included identifying changes to immune cell composition and using RNA/DNA sequencing to identify biomarkers associated with immune changes in patients with disease progression. From the data, they outline possible new avenues in immune cell profiling for the prognosis of high-risk precursor patients, as well as therapeutic targeting, including the potential for curing at the precursor stage. The second study for discussion compared major components of tumor ecosystems in patients with newly diagnosed/relapsed myeloma that are triple-class refractory. Kourelis brings attention to unhealthy T-cell compartments in more heavily pretreated patients compared with patients with newly diagnosed/relapsed disease and the implications for their response to T-cell-based immunotherapies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Francesca Gay (University of Turin, Turin, IT) and Jonathan L. Kaufman (Emory University, Atlanta, US) about the best partner for lenalidomide maintenance after autologous stem cell transplantation.In this podcast, Kaufman and Gay discuss data from studies evaluating multiple myeloma treatment with proteasome inhibitors (bortezomib or carfilzomib) + lenalidomide. Both highlight improved progression-free survival with combination therapy vs monotherapy, particularly in high-risk patients. They also discuss difficulties related to patient compliance with combination therapy and issues related to continuous hospital visits resulting from the method of administration and therefore suggest potential oral alternatives to improve compliance. Kaufman then moves on to data from the phase II GRIFFIN trial, evaluating the addition of daratumumab (DARA) to lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone induction and consolidation, followed by maintenance therapy with lenalidomide or DARA + lenalidomide. Gay also mentions the MAIA study evaluating DARA + lenalidomide and dexamethasone in transplant-ineligible patients. Kaufman concludes by highlighting the importance of evaluating methods to shorten post-transplant maintenance time without losing any long-term benefits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Nikhil C. Munshi, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US. We asked, Should we still use high-dose melphalan in the era of novel agents? In this podcast, Munshi discusses the role of high-dose chemotherapy combined with stem cell transplantation in the era of novel agents. Upon analyzing data from a genomic-focused study, he concludes that high-dose melphalan can still achieve good and deep responses, while maintenance therapy should also be an important treatment component for multiple myeloma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Efstathios Kastritis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GR. We asked, What are the unmet needs in AL amyloidosis in Europe? AL amyloidosis is a rare disease caused by the accumulation of amyloid fibers in tissues and organs. In this podcast, Kastritis outlines the need for a more accurate and earlier diagnosis of AL amyloidosis. Kastritis then discusses the need for new therapeutic strategies in patients with advanced (stage IIIb) AL amyloidosis. Finally, he mentions the need for optimized treatment in patients who relapse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Marc Braunstein, NYU Langone Health, New York, US, and Mohamad Mohty, Hôpital Saint-Antoine and Sorbonne University, Paris, FR, about the role of upfront transplant consolidation in the era of novel agents.Long-term follow-up data about upfront autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) were presented at the 62nd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. Mohty and Braunstein agree on the importance of auto-HSCT and on the fact that, when possible, it should not be delayed.They outline the value of upfront auto-HSCT even in the era of novel agents being developed for multiple myeloma. They also talk about consolidation and maintenance therapy after transplant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Maximilian Merz, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, DE, and Nizar Bahlis, University of Calgary, Calgary, CA. We asked, Can single cell sequencing help to better define and monitor multiple myeloma?Merz highlights the importance of defining what you want to study, the myeloma cells or the tumor microenvironment. He explains that with single cell sequencing it is possible to analyze different clones that are present in every patient with myeloma, and that in the future it will be important to look at risk-stratified therapy and identify modes of resistance. He also states that with single cell sequencing we can understand why certain therapies work in certain patients. Bahlis focuses on non-plasma cell compartment and single cell techniques. He gives an overview of the studies on single cell sequencing presented at ASH 2020. He also reports the results of a study performing a broad immunophenotypic and transcriptomic characterization, at the single cell level, of the peripheral blood and bone marrow T cells of sensitive and resistant patients with multiple myeloma treated with B-cell maturation antigen-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T-cell and bispecific T-cell engager therapies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the European School of Haematology (ESH) 5th Translational Research E-Conference on Multiple Myeloma, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Hermann Einsele, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, DE, about novel immunotherapies.Bispecific antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells represent a novel interesting therapeutic option for patients with multiple myeloma. In this podcast, after explaining their mechanism of action, Hermann Einsele gives an overview of the major findings from clinical trials evaluating efficacy and safety of bispecific antibodies and CAR T cells. The advantage of bispecific antibodies in comparison to CAR T cells is that they are probably less toxic, with less severe cytokine release syndrome and lower neurotoxicity, thus more suitable for patients who are less fit. However, CAR T cells seem to be more effective, with response rates of up to 100% and complete remission rates that can be above 80%. In summary, both bispecific antibodies and CAR T cells are new immunotherapeutic strategies that show promising results in patients with multiple myeloma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting I, the MM Hub was pleased to speak to Christine Spencer, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San-Francisco, US and Diwakar Davar, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Pittsburgh, US. We asked: how can we use the microbiome to improve cancer immunotherapy and alleviate side effects such as graft-versus-host-disease?In this podcast, Dr Davar starts by providing a background on the importance of the microbiome in adaptive and innate immunity, while Dr Spencer states the importance of the cross-talk between the microbiome and immune system through microbial products, peptides, and metabolites. Dr Davar then explains the concept of immunosurveillance, immunoediting, and checkpoint inhibitors. Dr Spencer describes fecal microbiome transplant studies that showed features of the microbiome can predict response to immunotherapy and effect T-cell expression. Dr Davar then describes some of the studies that are looking at fecal microbiome transplant in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. He goes on to discuss studies investigating the use of live bacterial products to elicit the same effects as fecal microbiome transplant, particularly the mediation of CD8 T cells. Dr Spencer also talks about probiotics, antibiotics, and diet and explains how this can affect the gut microbiome and describes studies looking at these features in terms of response to immunotherapies. She also describes the microbiome research related to graft-versus-host-disease and the impact of higher alpha diversity on post-transplant survival, while Dr Davar explains how the microbiome may also affect toxicity and side-effects of cancer immunotherapies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COMy 2020, Multiple Myeloma Hub Steering Committee Member Paul Richardson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US, spoke to the Multiple Myeloma Hub about advances in the novel, peptide-conjugated alkylator, melphalan flufenamide (melflufen).Melflufen has been successful in overcoming resistance to standard chemotherapeutics as well as novel agents, such as proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs. The high lipophilicity of melflufen facilitates rapid entry into myeloma cells. Furthermore, its alkylating activity is initiated by aminopeptidases, which are often overexpressed by myeloma cells, making the agent particularly selective. As a result, melflufen is better tolerated, with fewer off-target effects than its predecessor, melphalan.Here, Paul Richardson discusses the major findings from preclinical studies and topline data from ongoing clinical trials evaluating melflufen for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Katja Weisel, University Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, DE. In this podcast she discusses the quadruplet combination of isatuximab with carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of high-risk newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.In this podcast, Katja Weisel describes the interim results of the phase II GMMG-CONCEPT trial including deep and durable responses, measurable residual disease negativity, remissions, and overall survival of the first 50 patients enrolled. She also discusses the trial design, including the cytogenetic features that classify patients as high risk, as well as the safety profile and dosing regimens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was delighted to speak to Paul Richardson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US. In this podcast he discusses cereblon E3 ligase modulators (CELMoDs) as a novel approach in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.Paul Richardson describes how preclinical data have shown CC-92480 to have potent and direct anti-myeloma and immunostimulatory effects. He discusses the results from the phase I, multicenter, international study that combined CC-92480 with dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma and describes the two dosing regimens (continuous and intensive), patient characteristics, and safety data. Dr Richardson also explains that the results show encouraging, durable responses, particularly for patients that have triple-refractory myeloma, which are a sub-group of patients where there is a significant clinical unmet need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 25th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Saad Usmani, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, US. In this podcast he discusses data from three clinical trials, which address the use of quadruplet treatments and anti-BCMA therapy for multiple myeloma.He describes the progression free survival, overall survival and safety profile of the 100 patients that were evaluable from the SWOG 1211 trial. This was a randomized, phase II trial, which evaluated lenalidomide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (RVd) induction followed by dose-attenuated RVd maintenance until disease progression with or without elotuzumab, in patients with high risk, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.He then talks about the dose escalation results of first-in-human trial of teclistamab, a BCMA bispecific antibody, in terms of overall response rates and safety profile. He then mentions the randomized phase III study looking at belantamab mafodotin in combination with RVd in patients with transplant ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COMy 2020, Nikhil Munshi, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US, spoke to the Multiple Myeloma Hub about genomics of high-risk MM.Here, Nikhil Munshi highlights the positive shift in survival outcomes of patients with high-risk MM in recent years, owing to emerging treatments and diagnostic techniques. Three major points are discussed:1. Who is high risk?2. What are the characteristics of high-risk MM?3. How do we treat patients with high-risk disease? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 25th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Steering Committee Member Heinz Ludwig, Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, AT. This podcast outlines a study that aimed to determine the impact of the oral microbiome in patients uniformly treated with ixazomib + thalidomide + dexamethasone combination therapy for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM.Oral microbiome characteristics are highly heterogeneous between patients, and a higher microbiome diversity has been associated with favorable prognosis in patients with cancer. However, there remains a lack of data surrounding the influence of the oral microbiome on survival outcomes in patients with MM. This study sought to provide answers—listen for more information! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myleoma Hub was pleased to speak to Adam Cohen, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US. In this podcast, he discussed the use of BFCR4350A, a novel bispecific FcRH5:CD3 T-cell engaging antibody, in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.Adam Cohen provides us with insights from pre-clinical data and explains the mechanism of action of BFCR4350A. He also describes the expression patterns of its target FcRH5, which make this drug less likely to have off-target effects and be specifically efficacious in patients with an amplification at the 1q21 locus. He also discusses the study design, criteria, and objectives of the phase I trial, including a step-up dosing regimen aimed to mitigate cytokine syndrome and neurotoxicity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Nikhil Munshi, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US. In this podcast, he discusses the recent updates from the KarMMa phase II trial (NCT03361748). in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.Nikhil Munshi describes the mechanism of action of the idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) BCMA targeting CAR T-cell therapy before detailing the study design. He then provides results from the 128 patients enrolled in the study, including and dose-response rates, overall response rates, complete response rates, and MRD negativity rates. He also describes the safety profile including cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity and cytopenias. These results demonstrate deep and durable responses for a heavily pre-treated patient population with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Jesus Berdeja, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, US. In this podcast, he discusses the latest updates from the CARTITUDE-1. This was a phase I/IIb study of JNJ-4528, a B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T)-cell therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.Jesus Berdeja begins by explaining the construct is different to other BCMA CAR T-cell constructs and then goes on to describe the study design, including patient characteristics and eligibility. He then describes the safety results from this study including the late onset of cytotoxic syndrome. He also discusses the overall response rate and measurable residual disease negativity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Amrita Krishnan, City of Hope, Duarte, US. In this podcast, she discussed the phase I data of TAK-079, a novel anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, in a heavily pre-treated population of patients with multiple myeloma.She begins be describing the uniqueness of TAK-079 over other approved anti-CD38 antibodies and describes the mechanism of action. Amrita Krishnan then begins to discuss the promising safety and tolerability results including no infusion-related reactions and no significant lymphopenia or thrombocytopenia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was delighted to speak to Shaji Kumar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US. We asked: Should we use carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd) or bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM)? In this podcast he describes the results of the ENDURANCE (E1A11) phase III trial.Shaji Kumar discusses the results of the primary endpoints: progression-free survival, and duration of therapy, as well as the secondary endpoints: MRD-negativity, overall survival, and toxicity. He also discusses quality of life metrics, including renal and neurotoxicity-related symptoms. As this study excluded high-risk patients, Shaji Kumar briefly describes the results of another trial (S1221) that enrolled a high-risk patient population to fully answer the question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was delighted to speak to Elizabeth O'Donnell, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, US. We asked: what is the optimal treatment for bone lesions, including patients with renal insufficiency?In this podcast, Elizabeth O'Donnell discusses how bone-directed therapy is an important component of multiple myeloma (MM) therapy. She describes the study which led to the FDA approval of denosumab, before describing results from the ongoing phase II, single-arm study of denosumab in patients with MM with real insufficiency (creatinine clearance < 30). She focuses on the safety profile and adverse events including neurotoxicities and hypocalcemia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COMy 2020, Multiple Myeloma (MM) Hub steering committee member, Irene Ghobrial, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US, spoke to the MM Hub about the recent advances in our understanding of myeloma progression.The question remains for patients with smoldering MM: when should therapeutic intervention begin? Here, Irene Ghobrial discusses the need for more robust disease-characterizing and patient-defining criteria. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2020 Meeting, the Multiple Myeloma Hub was pleased to speak to Enrique M. Ocio, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, ES. In this podcast, Enrique M. Ocio discusses the results of the phase I/II trial that evaluated quadruplet combinations in patients with transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma.Enrique M. Ocio begins by describing how first-line treatments for this population of patients have changed recently, and then provides results from a study investigating the use of isatuximab (an anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody) in combination with quadruplet regimens; bortezomib + cyclophosphamide + dexamethasone (VCd) or bortezomib + lenalidomide + dexamethasone (VRd). He provides efficacy, safety and tolerably data as well as measurable residual disease analysis, and concludes with his perspective on which treatments should be used for elderly patients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COMy 2020, Paula Rodriguez Otero, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, ES, spoke to the Multiple Myeloma (MM) Hub. We asked: How should we treat elderly patients with newly diagnosed MM? A number of factors may influence a patient's eligibility for, and outcome to, different treatments in the MM setting. Here, Paula Rodriguez Otero discusses these factors and outlines the available treatment options for patients deemed ineligible for transplant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COMy 2020, Enrique Ocio, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, ES, spoke to the Multiple Myeloma (MM) Hub about resistance mechanisms to current standard of care and how to overcome them.Although advances in treatment options for MM have improved the outcome of patients in recent years, resistance remains a problem and MM is still considered an incurable disease. Here, Enrique Ocio discusses the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind both primary and secondary resistance in order to overcome them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COMy 2020, Artur Jurczyszyn, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PL, spoke to the Multiple Myeloma Hub. We asked: What is plasma cell leukemia and what are the latest advances in treatment?In this podcast, Artur Jurczyszyn talks about the classifications of plasma cell leukemia and the importance of outlining a plasma cell prognostic index for use in clinical practice. The data from two retrospective analyses, evaluating primary and secondary plasma cell leukemia, are discussed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.