The hematologist from Moffitt Cancer Center discussed the survival benefit of ide-cel in the phase 2 KarMMa trial.
This content originally appeared on our sister site, OncLive.
OncLive spoke with Doris Hansen, MD, assistant member, department of blood and marrow transplant and cellular immunotherapy. Moffitt Cancer Center, about the progression-free survival (PFS) benefit yielded by idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; Abecma).
The phase 2 KarMMa trial (NCT03361748) demonstrated an overall response rate of 73% in patients with pretreated relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Median PFS was 8.6 months in patients with R/R MM.
The study examined the safety and efficacy of ide-cel in this patient population and was pivotal because it provided a new novel therapy to those who otherwise have limited options, according to Hansen. Patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma often have a median PFS of 2 to 3 months, according to Hansen. However, patients who receive a BCMA-targeted CAR T-cell therapy experience improved outcomes, Hansen continues.
For example, results from the KarMMa study showed that patients who achieved a deep response with ide-cel, or a complete remission or better, had a median PFS of approximately 22 months, and a duration of response of 21 months. These results held up with a longer follow-up, Hansen concludes.