Dr. Usmani on Key Findings From the SWOG 1211 Trial in High-Risk Multiple Myeloma

Saad ​Z. Usmani, MD, FACP, chief of the Plasma Cell Disorders Program and director of Clinical Research in Hematologic Malignancies, at the Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, discusses the key takeaways from the randomized phase 2 SWOG 1211 trial in patients with newly diagnosed, high-risk multiple myeloma.

At the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, findings from the study revealed that the addition of elotuzumab (Empliciti) to lenalidomide (Revlimid), bortezomib (Velcade), and dexamethasone (RVd) induction and maintenance did not improve patient outcomes compared with RVd alone.

Both arms demonstrated improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with historic controls, explains Usmani.

At a follow-up of 53 months, median PFS was 31 months with elotuzumab versus 34 months with RVd alone. Median OS was 68 months with elotuzumab; median OS was not reached with RVd alone.

These data indicate that the combination of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs have merit as a continuous therapeutic model in high-risk multiple myeloma, Usmani concludes.