Dr. Patel on the Integration of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma

Krina K. Patel, MD, MSc, associate professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the integration of CAR T-cell therapy into the treatment paradigm of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Having an FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy with idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; Abecma) has been a significant advancement in the treatment of patients with heavily pretreated, relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, Patel says. The demand for ide-cel currently outweighs the supply. However, many patients receiving ide-cel are unfit for clinical trials because of kidney function impairment or non-secretory disease, so having any FDA-approved options in this setting is significant. In addition to ide-cel, a second CAR T-cell therapy, ciltacabtagene autoleucel, may also be approved, further expanding treatment options for this patient population, Patel says.

Although these therapies are not curative, patients are able to derive substantial responses with a single dose of therapy, Patel says. The response rates with CAR T-cell therapies are in the range of 80% to 100% compared with about 30% for other approved agents for this patient population. Moreover, the progression-free survival can surpass 1 year with some products. Ultimately, offering a potential treatment-free interval to patients with heavily pretreated disease is a significant achievement, Patel concludes.