Revolutionizing Multiple Myeloma: Immunotherapy Is Transforming Treatment, Extending Lives, Dr Mohamad Mohty Says

Mohamad Mohty, MD, PhD, professor of hematology and head of the hematology and cellular therapy department at Sorbonne University and Saint-Antoine Hospital, discusses how immunotherapies have significantly transformed multiple myeloma treatment, providing various effective options and extending the quality of life for patients with relapsed/refractory disease.

Mohty explored this topic further during the session he chaired, "Immunotherapy in Multiple Myeloma: A New Frontier on the Road to Cure," at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2024 Congress in Madrid, Spain.

Transcript

How has immunotherapy transformed the landscape of multiple myeloma treatment in recent years?

Immunotherapy is really proving to be a transformative therapy for multiple myeloma. For many years, we've been, I would say, waiting for the advent of immunotherapy, whether cellular immune therapy with CAR [chimeric antigen receptor] T cells. The CAR T cells were approved in multiple myeloma after approval of CAR T cells in lymphoma but also ALL [acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

Immunotherapy with bispecific antibodies, now we're fortunate having 3 bispecific antibodies approved: 2 against BCMA [B-cell maturation antigen], teclistamab [and] elranatamab; and 1 targeting GPRC5D [G protein–coupled receptor, class C, group 5, member D], namely talquetamab, but there are many others being developed. Cevostamab is being developed against FcRH5 [Fc receptor-homolog 5]. We also have linvoseltamab against BCMA [and] there is alnuctamab against BCMA; we have also an AbbVie bispecific antibody against BCMA.

You can see the development is moving rapidly with several candidates, but we have also proven efficacy and well-established safety profiles. All of these immunotherapies are really modifying the natural history of multiple myeloma patients who are in relapsed/refractory disease, especially those patients who are triple refractory or even penta-refractory.

Until recently, we didn't have any effective treatment options for these patients. These are patients who are supposed to be in supportive palliative care, and now we have dozens of patients who are enjoying long-term survival with good quality of life. So, overall, immunotherapies have been transformative, I would say, in the myeloma landscape; this is really, really very good news.