New study shows combination treatment could improve treatment for people with relapsed myeloma
Rest of the World
At the American Society of Hematology Conference in Orlando, new results from the MajesTEC-3 study show that combining teclistamab with daratumumab could help people with myeloma whose cancer has come back or hasn’t responded to previous treatment, to live longer without their cancer getting worse.
It is encouraging to see results like this because every advance in myeloma treatment has a real impact on people’s lives, especially when the cancer has already come back once before.
- Dr Richard Francis, Blood Cancer UK
Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is currently incurable and will return even after treatment to keep the disease at bay.
The phase 3 trial included 587 people from hospitals across Europe, Asia, the United States and South America. Everyone taking part had received between one and three earlier treatments.
The study found that people given teclistamab and daratumumab had a much longer period of remission (where the disease is undetectable) before their cancer came back compared to than those given standard combinations such as daratumumab with pomalidomide or bortezomib.
Early results also suggest people may live longer overall on the newer combination. The most common side effects were infections and cytokine release syndrome.
Dr Richard Francis, Deputy Director of Research at Blood Cancer UK, said:
“It is encouraging to see results like this because every advance in myeloma treatment has a real impact on people’s lives, especially when the cancer has already come back once before. Myeloma can be exhausting to live with, and many people go through several rounds of treatment, so a combination that keeps the cancer under control for longer, giving people more time with their loved ones is very welcome. At Blood Cancer UK we will follow this global work closely because progress anywhere helps us move faster towards our goal to beat blood cancer. Shockingly, blood cancer is the UK’s third biggest cancer killer and it is only by understanding these studies in detail that we can help make sure people in the UK benefit from the best new ideas as soon as possible.”
