Thomas Martin, MD, on Exciting Cell Therapy Options in Multiple Myeloma

"In the triple class refractory group of patients, we do have limited choices. Of the agents that we have, the typical median PFS and DOR are much less than what we've seen so far with cilta-cel, so I do think that it's going to offer the ability for some of these relapsed refractory myeloma patients to live longer and to have better quality of life."

Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) has continued to produce deep and durable responses in heavily-pretreated patients with multiple myeloma, according to findings from the phase 1/2 CARTITUDE-1 study (NCT03548207).^1,2

Further data on cilta-cel's potential as an earlier line of therapy has been demonstrated in the phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study (NCT04133636).³ During this study, investigators found that progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months was 90% (95% CI, 65.6–97.4) in patients with multiple myeloma and only 1 to 3 prior lines of therapy.

CGTLive spoke with investigator Thomas G. Martin, MD, clinical professor of medicine, Adult Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplantation Program, and associate director, Myeloma Program, University of California San Francisco, and co-leader, Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy Program, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer CenterMartin to learn more about the challenges in treating patients with refractory multiple myeloma. He discussed other exciting cell therapies in the space that will be advancing in 2022.

(Editor’s note: cilta-cel was approved for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma following 4 or more prior lines of therapy on February 28, 2022.)

REFERENCES

1. New data from CARTITUDE-1 Study show continued deep and durable responses of ciltacabtageneautoleucel (cilta-cel) in treatment of heavily pretreated patients with multiple myeloma. News release. Janssen. December 12, 2021. https://www.janssen.com/new-data-cartitude-1-study-show-continued-deep-and-durable-responses-ciltacabtagene-autoleucel-cilta
2. Martin T, Usmani SZ, Berdeja JG, et al. Updated results from CARTITUDE-1: Phase 1b/2 study of CiltacabtageneAutoleucel, a B-cell maturation antigen–Directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Presented at: 63rd Annual ASH Meeting; December 11-14, 2021, Atlanta, GA. Abstract 549.
3. Cohen YC, Cohen DA, Delforge M, et al. Efficacy and safety of ciltacabtageneautoleucel (cilta-cel), a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)–directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in lenalidomide-refractory patients with progressive multiple myeloma after 1–3 prior lines of therapy: Updated results from CARTITUDE-2. Presented at: 63rd Annual ASH Meeting; December 11-14, 2021, Atlanta, GA. Abstract 3866.