Dr. Richardson on the Synergy Between Immunomodulators and Proteasome Inhibitors

Paul Richardson, MD, clinical program leader, director of clinical research, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, RJ Corman Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses the synergy between immunomodulators and proteasome inhibitors in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).

These data come from the phase III OPTIMISMM trial, which Richardson was the lead investigator of. OPTIMISMM evaluated the combination of pomalidomide (Pomalyst), bortezomib (Velcade), and low-dose dexamethasone versus the standard treatment of bortezomib and dexamethasone alone. Richardson says the concept of this trial has been a paradigm of myeloma treatment for a long time.

Patients on the pomalidomide arm received 4 mg/day of the agent for 14 days, in addition to the standard dose of bortezomib and dexamethasone. The primary endpoint of the study was progression-free survival (PFS).

Data showed that pomalidomide reduced PFS by 39% versus standard treatment. Overall survival data are not yet mature.