EHA25 Virtual: Adding Elotuzumab to Treatment Regimen in Newly Diagnosed Myeloma
Posted: Friday, July 17, 2020
Adding the monoclonal antibody elotuzumab to an induction regimen of bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients with transplant-eligible multiple myeloma did not result in an increased rate of very good partial responses or better, according to a multicenter phase III study. Hartmut Goldschmidt, MD, of the University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues presented their findings data during the virtual edition of the 25th European Hematology Association Annual Congress (EHA25 Virtual; Abstract S203).
The German-speaking Myeloma Multicenter group trial HD6 was a randomized treatment protocol. Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma received four 21-day cycles consisting of bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone with or without elotuzumab. The two groups had equal distributions of patients with renal impairment, adverse cytogenetics, and revised International Staging System disease stages. A minimum of four cycles of therapy were completed in 264 patients in the no-elotuzumab group and in 258 patients in the elotuzumab group.
The overall response rate with the triplet therapy was 85.6%, compared with 82.4% in the group receiving the triplet therapy plus elotuzumab. The very good partial response rates or better were 54.0% and 58.3% in the groups without and with elotuzumab, respectively. Investigators are still evaluating the rates of complete response due to an interference between elotuzumab and serum electrophoresis and immunofixation.
At least one serious adverse event was reported in 66.5% of patients in the group not receiving elotuzumab and in 65.4% of patients in the group receiving elotuzumab during induction therapy. The most common adverse events in the three-drug versus four-drug groups were nervous system disorders (24.0% vs. 23.6%, respectively), infections and infestations (22.9% vs. 20.0%), and blood and lymphatic system disorders (8.4% vs. 14.6%). There were four deaths in the group receiving bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone and nine deaths in the group receiving bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone, plus elotuzumab.
Disclosure: For disclosures of the study authors, visit library.ehaweb.org.
