Myeloma News
Functional Disability Predicts Mortality in Older Adults With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
Source: Myeloma – Hematology Advisor
Among older adults with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving home health services, functional disability is a predictor of early mortality, according to research published in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics.
“The care of patients with MM is often challenging because of the higher prevalence of vulnerabilities observed with advancing age, a risk factor associated with MM incidence,” the authors wrote in their report.
The researchers retrospectively evaluated the relationships between disability, treatment receipt, and survival outcomes in older adults with newly diagnosed MM using the US nationwide Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data set.
The study included adults aged ≥66 years diagnosed with MM from 2010 to 2017 who used home health services the year before diagnosis. At home health assessment, patients’ degree of functional disability was assessed using a composite score derived from items related to ability to complete activities of daily living. The primary outcome was overall mortality, and secondary outcomes included receipt of any MM therapy in the year after diagnosis, treatment type, and health care utilization.
A total of 37,280 adults aged ≥66 years were diagnosed with MM from 2010 to 2017. Of those, 18.2% used home health services in the year before diagnosis. Those who used home health services were categorized as having mild disability (34.5%), moderate disability (32.1%), and severe disability (33.3%).
Patients with moderate disability at assessment had similar receipt of MM-directed therapy as those with mild disability and similar health care usage after diagnosis as patients with severe disability.
Patients who used home health services had a higher comorbidity burden (3 vs 2) and higher mortality (adjusted risk ratio [RR] for 3-year mortality, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.55-1.64) than those who did not use these services. Postdiagnosis mortality was higher among those with more severe functional disability before diagnosis (adjusted RR at 6-months: severe vs mild, 2.30; 95% CI, 2.05-2.58; moderate vs mild, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.22-1.43).
“These individuals [requiring home health services] have greater early mortality than older adults with MM who did not previously receive [home health] services, potentially highlighting the utility of [home health] service receipt as a marker of individuals who will need more intensive support when starting therapy,” the authors wrote.
Limitations of the study included its retrospective nature, lack of distinction between individuals with clinically overt MM and those with presymptomatic smoldering MM, and assessment of newly diagnosed patients potentially receiving first-line therapy.
Disclosure: Some study authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.
FDA Advisory Committee Votes in Favor of Ide-Cel for Adult Patients With Multiple Myeloma
Source: Pharmacy Times articles
The decision to vote in favor of idecabtagene vicleucel comes after positive phase 3 trial results demonstrating its efficacy compared with standard regimens.
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Elranatamab Maintains or Improves Symptoms and Health Status of Patients With Multiple Myeloma
Source: Pharmacy Times articles
This finding was evident in both examined groups and regardless of the patients’ B-cell maturation antigen-directed therapy status.
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GZ17-6.02 Effective in Killing Multiple Myeloma Cells, Other Benefits When Combined With Bortezomib
Source: Pharmacy Times articles
The combination of GZ17-6.02 and bortezomib reduced of HDAC, and as a result ATG13 phosphorylation was enhanced, BAK levels increased, and BCL-XL levels were reduced.
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FDA Approves Denosumab Biosimilars Jubbonti and Wyost
Source: Myeloma – Hematology Advisor
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Jubbonti® (denosumab-bbdz) and Wyost® (denosumab-bbdz), the first interchangeable biosimilars to Prolia (denosumab) and Xgeva (denosumab), respectively.
Jubbonti is approved to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men at high risk for fracture receiving androgen deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer, and to increase bone mass in women at high risk for fracture receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer. The Jubbonti approval also includes a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program designed to inform prescribers of the risk of severe hypocalcemia in patients with advanced kidney disease.
Wyost is indicated to prevent skeletal-related events in patients with multiple myeloma and in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors, to treat adults and skeletally mature adolescents with giant cell tumor of bone that is unresectable or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and to treat hypercalcemia of malignancy refractory to bisphosphonate therapy.
For this approval, the FDA reviewed a comprehensive clinical data package, which included data from the phase 3 ROSALIA trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03974100). The study compared denosumab-bbdz to the reference product (Prolia) in 527 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive the biosimilar or the reference product for up to 78 weeks of treatment. Findings showed the biosimilar denosumab was comparable to the reference product with regard to pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, safety and immunogenicity.
The availability of Jubbonti and Wyost is still unclear as ongoing patent litigation precludes Sandoz from launching the products at this time.
Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month: Raising Awareness, Sharing Stories With #MyelomaActionMonth
Source: Pharmacy Times articles
This initiative aims to raise worldwide awareness of the disease while trying to strengthen the connection between members of the multiple myeloma community.
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Final Thoughts on Operationalization of Bispecific Antibodies for Multiple Myeloma
Source: Pharmacy Times articles
Panelists provide concluding perspectives on the operationalization of bispecific antibodies for multiple myeloma.
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Redefining high risk multiple myeloma with an APOBEC/Inflammation-based classifier
Effect of daratumumab on stem cell yields in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: a report from the Multiple Myeloma Group
Belantamab Mafodotin Regimen Indicates Safety, Improved OS in Patients Treated With Multiple Myeloma
Source: Pharmacy Times articles
Despite the belantamab mafodotin regimen improving overall survival in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, the trial is ongoing to confirm the presented results.
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Recent Publications
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Ann Hematol. 2024 Mar 16. doi: 10.1007/s00277-024-05705-z. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Elotuzumab-based regimens are sometimes selected for multiple myeloma treatment after daratumumab-based regimens. However, there has been insufficient discussion on the efficacy of elotuzumab after...
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Real-world incidence and risk factors of bortezomib-related cardiovascular adverse events in patients with multiple myeloma
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