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Autologous transplantation is controversial for older patients with multiple myeloma. The role of age-adjusted high-dose melphalan and the impact of induction chemotherapy cycles is still unclear. A total of 434 patients aged 60–70 years were randomly assigned to 4 cycles of standard anthracycline-based induction chemotherapy or no induction. For all patients, double autologous transplantation after melphalan 140 mg/m2 (MEL140) was planned. The primary end point was progression-free survival. Of 420 eligible patients, 85% received a first transplant and 69% completed double transplantation. Treatment duration was short with a median of 7.7 months with induction chemotherapy cycles and 4.6 months without induction. On an intention-to-treat basis, median progression-free survival with induction chemotherapy cycles (207 patients) was 21.4 months versus 20.0 months with no induction cycles (213 patients) (hazard ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.84–1.28; P=0.36). Per protocol, progression-free survival was 23.7 months versus 23.0 months (P=0.28). Patients aged 65 years or over (55%) did not have an inferior outcome. Patients with low-risk cytogenetics [absence of del17p13, t(4;14) and 1q21 gains] showed a favorable overall survival and included the patients with sustained first remission. MEL140 was associated with a low rate of severe mucositis (10%) and treatment-related deaths (1%). Based on hazard ratio, the short treatment arm consisting of mobilization chemotherapy and tandem MEL140 achieved 96% of the progression-free survival, demonstrating its value as an independent component of therapy in older patients with multiple myeloma who are considered fit for autologous transplantation. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 02288741)

Pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone is effective and well tolerated for refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma after bortezomib and lenalidomide failure. The phase III trial MM-003 compared pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone with high-dose dexamethasone. This subanalysis grouped patients by baseline creatinine clearance ≥ 30 − < 60 mL/min (n=93, pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone; n=56, high-dose dexamethasone) or ≥ 60 mL/min (n=205, pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone; n=93, high-dose dexamethasone). Median progression-free survival was similar for both subgroups and favored pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone versus high-dose dexamethasone: 4.0 versus 1.9 months in the group with baseline creatinine clearance ≥ 30 − < 60 mL/min (P

Patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who no longer receive benefit from novel agents have limited treatment options and short expected survival. del(17p) and t(4;14) are correlated with shortened survival. The phase 3 MM-003 trial demonstrated significant progression-free and overall survival benefits from treatment with pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone compared to high-dose dexamethasone among patients in whom bortezomib and lenalidomide treatment had failed. At an updated median follow-up of 15.4 months, the progression-free survival was 4.0 versus 1.9 months (HR, 0.50; P

The primary objective of this phase 1 study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the anti-glucose regulated protein 78 monoclonal immunoglobulin M antibody PAT-SM6 in subjects with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Twelve heavily pretreated patients received four intravenous infusions of PAT-SM6 at doses of 0.3, 1, 3, and 6 mg/kg within 2 weeks. Efficacy, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity were followed up until the end of the trial (day 36). In addition, immune cell patterns in peripheral blood were assessed by flow cytometry and glucose regulated protein 78 expression status was evaluated in bone marrow specimens by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry at screening. All doses administered were found to be safe and well tolerated; the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The most common treatment emergent adverse event was leukopenia (grades 1 and 2) in eight out of the 12 multiple myeloma patients. Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated dose-proportional increases in drug serum concentration. The terminal half-life ranged from 5.86 to 8.41 h, the apparent volume of distribution ranged from 101 to 150 mL/kg, and clearance ranged from 8.11 to 16.1 mL/h/kg. All patients showed glucose regulated protein 78 surface expression on multiple myeloma cells. Four out of the 12 patients (33.3 %) had stable disease, according to the International Myeloma Working Group criteria, after PAT-SM6 treatment across the doses 1, 3 and 6 mg/kg. In summary, single-agent PAT-SM6 was well tolerated with modest clinical activity in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Further trials exploring the combination of PAT-SM6 with existing myeloma therapies are planned. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01727778