Dr. Raje on Efficacy With Melflufen in Triple-Refractory Myeloma

Noopur S. Raje, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Multiple Myeloma Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses recent findings with melflufen in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Melflufen is a novel alkylating agent with less toxicity, says Raje. The phase 2 HORIZON trial enrolled patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who were refractory to pomalidomide (Pomalyst) and/or an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. The combination of melflufen and dexamethasone was effective in patients with triple-refractory disease and the median duration of response was also significant, says Raje. 

These results underscored that in a particularly difficult population to treat, the old alkylating agent still had efficacy. The trial included many patients who already had melphalan and many had received prior high-dose chemotherapy; even so,some notable efficacy was observed. This is a good weapon to have in the treatment armamentarium, especially in the triple-refractory patient population where response rates can be dismal, concludes Raje.