Dr Trudel on the Significance of the DREAMM-7 and DREAMM-8 Trials in R/R Multiple Myeloma

Suzanne Trudel, MSc, MD, associate professor, University of Toronto; clinician scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, discusses the implications of results from the phase 3 DREAMM-7 (NCT04246047) and DREAMM-8 trials evvaluating belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep)–based combinations in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

DREAMM-7 compared the combination of belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep), bortezomib (Velcade), and dexamethasone (BVd) with standard daratumumab (Darzalex), bortezomib, and dexamethasone (DVd) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, Trudel begins. Updated findings presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting showed that the BVd regimen significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and duration of response vs DVd for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who are refractory to lenalidomide treatment. The median PFS was 36.6 months (95% CI, 28.4–not reached) with belantamab mafodotin plus bortezomib and dexamethasone compared with 13.4 months (95% CI, 11.1-17.5) with DVd. 

In DREAMM-8, the combination of belantamab mafodotin plus pomalidomide (Pomalyst) and dexamethasone was compared with standard-of-care (SOC) bortezomib plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who previously received at least 1 line of treatment for their disease. The study also met its primary end point of PFS, further validating the efficacy of belantamab mafodotin in combination with other standard treatments.

These 2 studies, designed in parallel, provide compelling evidence of the robust efficacy of the BCMA-directed antibody-drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin when used in combination with SOC therapies, Trudel states. The safety profiles observed were consistent with expectations, but the significant efficacy seen in both trials positions belantamab mafodotin combinations as a promising treatment option, she adds.

This approach also addresses a critical gap in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, particularly for patients who have become refractory to lenalidomide and other frontline therapies, Trudel continues. The availability of belantamab mafodotin as an off-the-shelf option with a manageable safety profile offers clinicians a valuable tool that can be administered in a community setting, potentially improving outcomes for patients in need of effective treatment options during early relapse, she concludes.