Dr. Costello on the Role of Daratumumab in Multiple Myeloma

Caitlin Costello, MD, an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, discusses the role of daratumumab (Darzalex) in multiple myeloma.

Daratumumab has demonstrated significant clinical activity with deep responses and a manageable safety profile in multiple combination regimens in multiple myeloma, says Costello.

For example, the phase 2 GRIFFIN study revealed that the CD38-directed agent in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid), bortezomib (Velcade), and dexamethasone (RVd) elicited an improved progression-free survival (PFS) and stringent complete response (sCR) rate compared with RVd alone in newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma.

Moreover, the ongoing MASTER trial may provide insight on the utility of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity as a means to guide treatment decisions in patients post-transplant, explains Costello. 

Furthermore, the phase 3 CASSIOPEIA study showed higher rates of deep sCRs and improved PFS with the combination of daratumumab, bortezomib, thalidomide (Thalomid), and dexamethasone (DVTd) versus VTd alone in transplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma.