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Shaji K. Kumar, MD
Prashant Kapoor, MD, FACP
Shaji K. Kumar, MD
Prashant Kapoor, MD, FACP
Posted: Monday, April 10, 2023
Data from the final analysis of two therapeutic trials—PLEIADES AND EQUULEUS—for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma indicate that daratumumab and dexamethasone plus carfilzomib (D-Kd) is a well-tolerated and effective therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, according to an article published in Blood Cancer Journal. “Daratumumab-based combinations have also demonstrated encouraging efficacy in lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma,” explained Philippe Moreau, MD, of University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France, and colleagues. “Once-weekly carfilzomib significantly prolonged progression-free survival versus twice-weekly carfilzomib, providing a safe and more convenient dexamethasone dosing regimen.”
The authors combined data from two studies PLEIADES (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03412565) and EQUULEUS (NCT01998971) to observe response, safety, and tolerability in patients treated with D-Kd. The PLEIADES study included 66 patients, and EQUULEUS included 85 patients, all with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. All patients in both studies received 28-day cycles of D-Kd until disease progression and had varying degrees of disease and treatment history.
The researchers reported that the PLEIADES study obtained an overall response rate of 84.4%, with median follow-up of 12.4 months, and the patients in the EQUULEUS study achieved an overall response rate of 81.2%, with median follow-up of 23.7 months. Progression-free survival was analyzed in the EQUULEUS study alone and reported to be 25.6 months, with a rate of 52.7% and an overall survival rate of 71.6%. Serious treatment-related adverse events were reported in 33.3% of patients in the PLEIADES study and 48.2% of patients in the EQUULEUS study.
Similar results from both studies led the authors to conclude that D-Kd should be continued as the standard of care for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit www.nature.com.
