Initial Trial Results With Novel Combination Therapy for Resistant Myeloma

By: Joshua D. Madera, MD
Posted: Tuesday, February 6, 2024

For patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, the use of combination therapy with the T-cell–redirecting bispecific antibody talquetamab and the immunomodulatory drug pomalidomide may improve clinical outcomes, according to the results of the MonumenTAL-2 study presented at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 1014). Additional studies investigating the benefits of this regimen in this patient population are warranted, suggested Jeffrey V. Matous, MD, of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Denver, and colleagues.

A total of 35 patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma were enrolled in the study. All patients had received at least two prior lines of therapy including an immunomodulatory drug and a proteasome inhibitor. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 0.4 mg/kg of subcutaneous talquetamab weekly (QW; n = 16) or every other week (Q2W; n = 19) with step-up dosing, in conjunction with 2 mg of oral pomalidomide daily beginning during the second cycle of treatment.

The study authors reported an overall response rate of 86.7% for patients in the QW treatment cohort and 83.3% for patients in the Q2W cohort. In addition, a complete response was observed in 60.0% and 44.4% of patients in the QW and Q2W cohorts, respectively, and a very good partial response was observed in 86.7% and 77.8% of patients, respectively. The 6-month progression-free survival rate was identified as 93.3% for patients in the QW cohort and 88.9% in the Q2W cohort. Furthermore, 88.6% of all patients reported grade 3 or 4 adverse events, including neutropenia (48.6%), anemia (25.7%), and thrombocytopenia (20.0%).

Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit ash.confex.com.

2023 ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition

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