Dr. Sperling on Future Research Directions With Ide-Cel in Multiple Myeloma

Adam Sperling, MD, PhD, a physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, discusses future research directions with idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; Abecma) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. 

Ongoing studies are examining the use of ide-cel, as well as other CAR T-cell therapies like ciltacabtagene autoleucel, in early lines of therapy, according to Sperling. These studies are being done in patients who have relapsed quickly after their first-line therapy, Sperling notes. These patients are high risk, and are often primary refractory to their first line of therapy or have relapsed within 6 months to 1 year of undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation, Sperling explains. Currently, not enough data exist to determine whether the durability of response will be better if this modality is utilized in earlier lines, but more information is anticipated, Sperling says. 

Additionally, patients who have been treated with ide-cel did not receive any other therapy, which differs from how patients with multiple myeloma are generally treated, Sperling adds; they did not receive continuous treatment or maintenance therapy. However, ongoing trials are examining whether the durability of responses achieved with this approach can be improved if other therapies are given after CAR T-cell therapy, or in combination with this modality, Sperling concludes.