Carfilzomib-Dexamethasone Versus Bortezomib-Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma : Updated Overall Survival, Safety, and Subgroups

Introduction: The phase III RandomizEd, OpeN Label, Phase 3 Study of Carfilzomib Plus DExamethAsone Vs Bortezomib Plus DexamethasOne in Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma (ENDEAVOR) trial showed significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) with carfilzomib (56 mg/m) and dexamethasone (Kd56) versus bortezomib and Kd56 (Vd) in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We report updated OS and safety data after 6 months of additional follow-up. Patients and Methods: Patients with RRMM (1-3 previous lines of therapy) were randomized 1:1 to Kd56 or Vd. Median OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method; OS was compared between treatment groups using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: As of July 19, 2017, median follow-up was 44.3 months for Kd56 and 43.7 months for Vd. Median OS was 47.8 months (Kd56) versus 38.8 months (Vd; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.633-0.915). OS was longer with Kd56 versus Vd within age and cytogenetic subgroups, and according to number of previous lines of therapy, previous bortezomib exposure, previous lenalidomide exposure, and lenalidomide-refractory status. Exposure-adjusted incidences per 100 patient-years of adverse events (AEs) were 1352.07 for Kd56 and 1754.86 for Vd; for Grade ≥3 AEs, these values were 162.31 and 175.90. Conclusion: With median follow-up of approximately 44 months, clinically meaningful improvements in OS were observed with Kd56 versus Vd, including in all subgroups examined. The Kd56 safety profile was consistent with previous analyses. In this updated analysis of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) from the RandomizEd, OpeN Label, Phase 3 Study of Carfilzomib Plus DExamethAsone Vs Bortezomib Plus DexamethasOne in Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma (ENDEAVOR) trial, clinically meaningful overall survival improvements continue to be observed with carfilzomib 56 mg/m and dexamethasone (Kd56; n = 464) versus bortezomib and dexamethasone (n = 465), including in key patient subgroups. With longer-term data, the favorable benefit-risk profile of Kd56 continues to support its use as a standard-of-care in RRMM

A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of multiple myeloma among men and women of African ancestry

Persons of African ancestry (AA) have a twofold higher risk for multiple myeloma (MM) compared with persons of European ancestry (EA). Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) support a genetic contribution to MM etiology in individuals of EA. Little is known about genetic risk factors for MM in individuals of AA. We performed a meta-analysis of 2 GWASs ofMMin 1813 cases and 8871 controls and conducted an admixture mapping scan to identify risk alleles. We fine-mapped the 23 known susceptibility loci to find markers that could better capture MM risk in individuals of AA and constructed a polygenic risk score (PRS) to assess the aggregated effect of known MM risk alleles. In GWAS meta-analysis, we identified 2 suggestive novel loci located at 9p24.3 and 9p13.1 at P < 1 × 10-6; however, no genome-wide significant association was noted. In admixture mapping, we observed a genome-wide significant inverse association between local AA at 2p24.1-23.1 and MM risk in AA individuals. Of the 23 known EA risk variants, 20 showed directional consistency, and 9 replicated at P < .05 in AA individuals. In 8 regions, we identified markers that better captureMMrisk in persons with AA. AA individuals with a PRS in the top 10% had a 1.82-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.56-2.11) increased MM risk compared with those with average risk (25%-75%). The strongest functional association was between the risk allele for variant rs56219066 at 5q15 and lower ELL2 expression (P = 5.1 × 10-12). Our study shows that common genetic variation contributes to MM risk in individuals with AA

Carfilzomib-Dexamethasone Versus Bortezomib-Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma : Updated Overall Survival, Safety, and Subgroups

Introduction: The phase III RandomizEd, OpeN Label, Phase 3 Study of Carfilzomib Plus DExamethAsone Vs Bortezomib Plus DexamethasOne in Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma (ENDEAVOR) trial showed significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) with carfilzomib (56 mg/m) and dexamethasone (Kd56) versus bortezomib and Kd56 (Vd) in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We report updated OS and safety data after 6 months of additional follow-up. Patients and Methods: Patients with RRMM (1-3 previous lines of therapy) were randomized 1:1 to Kd56 or Vd. Median OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method; OS was compared between treatment groups using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: As of July 19, 2017, median follow-up was 44.3 months for Kd56 and 43.7 months for Vd. Median OS was 47.8 months (Kd56) versus 38.8 months (Vd; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.633-0.915). OS was longer with Kd56 versus Vd within age and cytogenetic subgroups, and according to number of previous lines of therapy, previous bortezomib exposure, previous lenalidomide exposure, and lenalidomide-refractory status. Exposure-adjusted incidences per 100 patient-years of adverse events (AEs) were 1352.07 for Kd56 and 1754.86 for Vd; for Grade ≥3 AEs, these values were 162.31 and 175.90. Conclusion: With median follow-up of approximately 44 months, clinically meaningful improvements in OS were observed with Kd56 versus Vd, including in all subgroups examined. The Kd56 safety profile was consistent with previous analyses. In this updated analysis of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) from the RandomizEd, OpeN Label, Phase 3 Study of Carfilzomib Plus DExamethAsone Vs Bortezomib Plus DexamethasOne in Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma (ENDEAVOR) trial, clinically meaningful overall survival improvements continue to be observed with carfilzomib 56 mg/m and dexamethasone (Kd56; n = 464) versus bortezomib and dexamethasone (n = 465), including in key patient subgroups. With longer-term data, the favorable benefit-risk profile of Kd56 continues to support its use as a standard-of-care in RRMM

Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a consensus statement by the International Myeloma Working Group

The International Myeloma Working Group consensus aimed to provide recommendations for the optimal use of 18fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders, including smouldering multiple myeloma and solitary plasmacytoma. 18F-FDG PET/CT can be considered a valuable tool for the work-up of patients with both newly diagnosed and relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma because it assesses bone damage with relatively high sensitivity and specificity, and detects extramedullary sites of proliferating clonal plasma cells while providing important prognostic information. The use of 18F-FDG PET/CT is mandatory to confirm a suspected diagnosis of solitary plasmacytoma, provided that whole-body MRI is unable to be performed, and to distinguish between smouldering and active multiple myeloma, if whole-body X-ray (WBXR) is negative and whole-body MRI is unavailable. Based on the ability of 18F-FDG PET/CT to distinguish between metabolically active and inactive disease, this technique is now the preferred functional imaging modality to evaluate and to monitor the effect of therapy on myeloma-cell metabolism. Changes in FDG avidity can provide an earlier evaluation of response to therapy compared to MRI scans, and can predict outcomes, particularly for patients who are eligible to receive autologous stem-cell transplantation. 18F-FDG PET/CT can be coupled with sensitive bone marrow-based techniques to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) inside and outside the bone marrow, helping to identify those patients who are defined as having imaging MRD negativity. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Performing tests on tools protected by different surface treatments under warm forming conditions

The International Myeloma Working Group consensus updates the definition for high-risk (HR) multiple myeloma based on cytogenetics Several cytogenetic abnormalities such as t(4;14), del(17/17p), t(14;16), t(14;20), nonhyperdiploidy, and gain(1q) were identified that confer poor

New drugs and novel mechanisms of action in multiple myeloma in 2013: A report from the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG)

Treatment in medical oncology is gradually shifting from the use of nonspecific chemotherapeutic agents toward an era of novel targeted therapy in which drugs and their combinations target specific aspects of the biology of tumor cells. Multiple myeloma (MM) has become one of the best examples in this regard, reflected in the identification of new pathogenic mechanisms, together with the development of novel drugs that are being explored from the preclinical setting to the early phases of clinical development. We review the biological rationale for the use of the most important new agents for treating MM and summarize their clinical activity in an increasingly busy field. First, we discuss data from already approved and active agents (including second- and third-generation proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory agents and alkylators). Next, we focus on agents with novel mechanisms of action, such as monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), cell cycle-specific drugs, deacetylase inhibitors, agents acting on the unfolded protein response, signaling transduction pathway inhibitors and kinase inhibitors. Among this plethora of new agents or mechanisms, some are specially promising: anti-CD38 MoAb, such as daratumumab, are the first antibodies with clinical activity as single agents in MM. Moreover, the kinesin spindle protein inhibitor Arry-520 is effective in monotherapy as well as in combination with dexamethasone in heavily pretreated patients. Immunotherapy against MM is also being explored, and probably the most attractive example of this approach is the combination of the anti-CS1 MoAb elotuzumab with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, which has produced exciting results in the relapsed/refractory setting. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited