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Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) is a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy studied in patients with multiple myeloma exposed to three classes of treatment in the single-arm CARTITUDE-1 study. To assess the effectiveness of cilta-cel compared to real-world clinical practice (RWCP), we performed adjusted comparisons using individual patients' data from CARTITUDE-1 and LocoMMotion, a prospective, multinational study of patients with multiple myeloma triple-class exposed of treatment. Comparisons were performed using inverse probability weighting. In CARTITUDE-1, 113 patients were enrolled, and 97 patients were infused with cilta-cel. In LocoMMotion, 248 patients were enrolled, and 170 patients were included in the comparisons versus infused patients. Ninety-two unique regimens were used in LocoMMotion, most frequently carfilzomib-dexamethasone (13.7%), pomalidomide-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (13.3%) and pomalidomidedexamethasone (11.3%). Adjusted comparisons showed that patients treated with cilta-cel were 3.12-fold more likely to respond to treatment than those managed by RWCP (response rate, 3.12, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.24-4.00), had their risk of progression or death reduced to by 85% (progression-free survival hazard ratio=0.15, 95% CI: 0.08-0.29), and a risk of death lowered by 80% (overall survival hazard ratio HR=0.20, 95% CI: 0.09-0.41). The incremental improvement in healthrelated quality of life from baseline for cilta-cel versus RWCP at week 52, as measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 Global Health Status, was 13.4 (95% CI: 3.5-23.6) and increased to 30.8 (95% CI: 21.8-39.8) when including death as additional information regarding patients' health status. Patients treated with cilta-cel experienced more adverse events than those managed with RWCP (any grade: 100% vs. 83.5%). The results from this study demonstrate improved efficacy outcomes of cilta-cel versus RWCP and highlight its potential as a novel and effective treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma triple-class exposed of antimyeloma treatment. CARTITUDE-1 is registered with clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT03548207. LocoMMotion is registered with clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT04035226.

The phase 3 POLLUX and CASTOR studies demonstrated superior benefit of daratumumab plus lenalidomide/dexamethasone or bortezomib/dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Efficacy and safety of daratumumab was analyzed according to age groups of 65 to 74 years and ≥75 years. Patients received ≥1 prior line of therapy. In POLLUX, patients received lenalidomide/dexamethasone ± daratumumab (16 mg/kg weekly, cycles 1-2; every two weeks, cycles 3-6; monthly until progression). In CASTOR, patients received eight cycles of bortezomib/dexamethasone ± daratumumab (16 mg/kg weekly, cycles 1-3; every three weeks, cycles 4-8; monthly until progression). Patients aged >75 years received dexamethasone 20 mg weekly. For patients aged ≥75 years in POLLUX (median follow-up: 25.4 months), daratumumab/lenalido-mide/dexamethasone prolonged progression-free survival versus lenalido-mide/dexamethasone (median: 28.9 versus 11.4 months; hazard ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.69; P =0.0042) and increased overall response rate (93.1% versus 76.5%; P =0.0740). Neutropenia was the most common grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse event (daratumumab: 44.8%; control: 31.4%). Infusion-related reactions occurred in 12 (41.4%) patients. For patients aged ≥75 years in CASTOR (median follow-up: 19.4 months), daratumumab/bortezomib/dexamethasone prolonged progression-free survival versus bortezomib/dexamethasone (median: 17.9 versus 8.1 months; hazard ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.65; P =0.0022) and increased overall response rate (95.0% versus 78.8%; P =0.1134). Thrombocytopenia was the most common grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse event (daratumumab: 45.0%; control: 37.1%). Infusion-related reactions occurred in 13 (65.0%) patients. Similar findings were reported for patients aged 65 to 74 years in both studies. Taken together, this subgroup analysis of efficacy and safety of daratumumab was largely consistent with the overall populations., (Copyright© 2020 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Daratumumab, a CD38 human monoclonal antibody, demonstrated significant clinical activity in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone versus bortezomib and dexamethasone alone in the primary analysis of CASTOR, a phase 3 study in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. A post hoc analysis based on treatment history and longer follow up is presented. After 19.4 (range: 0-27.7) months of median follow up, daratumumab plus bortezomib and dexamethasone prolonged progression-free survival (median: 16.7 versus 7.1 months; hazard ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.39; P <0.0001) and improved the overall response rate (83.8% versus 63.2%; P <0.0001) compared with bortezomib and dexamethasone alone. The progression-free survival benefit of daratumumab plus bortezomib and dexamethasone was most apparent in patients with 1 prior line of therapy (median: not reached versus 7.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% con fidence interval, 0.12-0.29; P <0.0001). Daratumumab plus bortezomib and dexamethasone was also superior to bortezomib and dexamethasone alone in subgroups based on prior treatment exposure (bortezomib, thalidomide, or lenalidomide), lenalidomide-refractory status, time since last therapy (≤12, >12, ≤6, or >6 months), or cytogenetic risk. Minimal residual disease-negative rates were >2.5-fold higher with daratumumab across subgroups. The safety profile of daratumumab plus bortezomib and dexamethasone remained consistent with longer follow up. Daratumumab plus bortezomib and dexamethasone demonstrated significant clinical activity across clinically relevant subgroups and provided the greatest benefit to patients treated at first relapse. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 02136134 ., (Copyright© 2018 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

To investigate cytogenetic evolution after upfront autologous stem cell transplantation for newly diagnosed myeloma we retrospectively analyzed fluorescence in situ hybridization results of 128 patients with paired bone marrow samples from the time of primary diagnosis and at relapse. High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (deletion 17p and/or gain 1q21) occurred more frequently after relapse (odds ratio: 6.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.86-33.42; P <0.001). No significant changes were observed for defined IGH translocations [t(4;14); t(11;14); t(14;16)] or hyperdiploid karyotypes between primary diagnosis and relapse. IGH translocations with unknown partners occurred more frequently at relapse. New deletion 17p and/or gain 1q21 were associated with cytogenetic heterogeneity, since some de novo lesions with different copy numbers were present only in subclones. No distinct baseline characteristics were associated with the occurrence of new high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities after progression. Patients who relapsed after novel agent-based induction therapy had an increased risk of developing high-risk aberrations (odds ratio 10.82; 95% confidence interval: 1.65-127.66; P =0.03) compared to those who were treated with conventional chemotherapy. Survival analysis revealed dismal outcomes regardless of whether high-risk aberrations were present at baseline (hazard ratio, 3.53; 95% confidence interval: 1.53-8.14; P =0.003) or developed at relapse only (hazard ratio, 3.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.09-8.59; P =0.03). Our results demonstrate cytogenetic evolution towards high-risk disease after autologous transplantation and underline the importance of repeated genetic testing in relapsed myeloma (EudraCT number of the HD4 trial: 2004-000944-26)., (Copyright© 2017 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Renal impairment is frequent in patients with multiple myeloma and is correlated with an inferior prognosis. This analysis evaluates the prognostic role of renal impairment in patients with myeloma treated with bortezomib before and after autologous stem cell transplantation within a prospective randomized phase III trial. Eight hundred and twenty-seven newly diagnosed myeloma patients in the HOVON-65/GMMG-HD4 trial were randomized to receive three cycles of vincristine, adriamycin, dexamethasone (VAD) or bortezomib, adriamycin, dexamethasone (PAD) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation and maintenance with thalidomide 50 mg daily (VAD-arm) or bortezomib 1.3 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks (PAD-arm). Baseline serum creatinine was less than 2 mg/dL (Durie-Salmon-stage A) in 746 patients and 2 mg/dL or higher (stage B) in 81. In myeloma patients with a baseline creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL the renal response rate was 63% in the VAD-arm and 81% in the PAD-arm (P=0.31). The overall myeloma response rate was 64% in the VAD-arm versus 89% in the PAD-arm with 13% complete responses in the VAD-arm versus 36% in the PAD-arm (P=0.01). Overall survival at 3 years for patients with a baseline creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL was 34% in the VAD-arm versus 74% in the PAD-arm (P<0.001) with a progression-free survival rate at 3 years of 16% in the VAD-arm versus 48% in the PAD-arm (P=0.004). Overall and progression-free survival rates in the PAD-arm were similar in patients with a baseline creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL or <2 mg/dL. We conclude that a bortezomib-containing treatment before and after autologous stem cell transplantation overcomes the negative prognostic impact of renal impairment in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The trial was registered at www.trialregister.nl as NTR213 and at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN 64455289.

Human parvovirus B 19 is known as a virus causing erythema infectiosum, arthropathy, transient aplastic crisis and intrauterine fetal death. Healthy hosts are able to clear the virus within weeks after infection. There are a few reports available in the literature regarding immunocompromised renal transplant recipients with persistent infection without seroconversion. Herein, we describe a 56-year old woman with a relapse of grade II follicular lymphoma who received a combined immunochemotherapy of rituximab, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide and subsequently developed a persistent parvovirus B19 infection. In the absence of serum immunoglobulin antibodies, PCR analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate were positive for parvovirus B19. Treatment with IVIG treatment resulted in normalization of peripheral blood counts within 7 weeks.