Dr. Lonial on the FDA Approval of Belantamab Mafodotin-blmf in Multiple Myeloma

Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP, professor and chair, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, chief medical officer, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, discusses the FDA approval of belantamab mafodotin in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have received 4 prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory drug, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 antibody.

The August 5, 2020 FDA approval is based on data from the phase 2 DREAMM-2 trial, in which belantamab mafodotin elicited an overall response rate of 31% (97.5% CI, 20.8-42.6) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who received the treatment at the recommended 2.5 mg/kg dose.

The BCMA-directed antibody-drug conjugate may offer an option to patients who have progressed on the most active regimens in multiple myeloma and whose performance status could limit their ability to tolerate chemotherapy, says Lonial.

Belantamab mafodotin has a novel mechanism of action that can lead to complete and potentially durable remissions without significant toxicities, concludes Lonial.