Dr. Kumar on Next Steps for Venetoclax in Multiple Myeloma

Shaji Kumar, MD, professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses the next steps for venetoclax (Venclexta) in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma.

Venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor, has been generally well tolerated in trials, says Kumar. Toxicities have been manageable, suggesting it would be an option to explore in combination regimens.

According to Kumar, next steps include identifying a subset of patients who are sensitive to the drug through a multi-pronged approach of the combination of venetoclax plus dexamethasone in relapsed multiple myeloma.

Currently, a phase III trial is accruing to evaluate the combination of venetoclax and bortezomib (Velcade) as well.