Dr Dima on Real-World Responses With Teclistamab in R/R Multiple Myeloma

Danai Dima, MD, hematology-oncology fellow, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the outcomes of a real-world analysis with teclistamab-cqyv (Tecvayli) compared with outcomes that have previously been observed in a clinical trial setting for patients with pretreated, relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

At the 2023 ASH Annual Meeting, an investigation of teclistamab in a real-world population of patients with pretreated, relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma showed that the agent was effective and tolerable, Dima begins. The overall response rate (ORR) with teclistamab in clinical practice was 66%, including a complete response (CR) or better in 29% of patients. These outcomes align closely with results from the phase 2 MajesTEC-1 trial (NCT04557098), which had stricter eligibility criteria and excluded patients with high-risk disease features, Dima explains. In the MajesTEC trial, the ORR for patients without prior BCMA therapy exposure was also 63%, with a CR of 39.4%, she adds.

In October 2022, teclistamab was approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least 4 previous lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, Dima states. This regulatory approval addresses an unmet need in this patient population that has historically had limited treatment options, she says. Unlike CAR T-cell therapies, which require a prolonged manufacturing time and may not be suitable for patients with more severe disease, teclistamab offers a readily available therapeutic option with comparable efficacy in terms of response rates and PFS, Dima explains.

The findings underscore the potential of teclistamab as an effective and more accessible treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have exhausted standard treatment regimens, Dima emphasizes. This real-world evidence reinforces the results from clinical trials and supports the integration of teclistamab into the treatment landscape for heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients, she concludes.