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Infection remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with multiple myeloma because of the cumulative effect of disease, treatment, and host-related factors. Given that infectious risk is cumulative through the course of the disease, preventing infections is paramount. Optimal preventive strategies include vaccination against common pathogens, antimicrobial prophylaxis, infection control measures, and immunoglobulin replacement in a small subset of patients; however, there are no universally accepted guidelines for infection prevention. This Review provides a consensus statement from a panel of 36 experts with global representation, which was convened by The International Myeloma Society to review existing literature and current guidelines, address issues associated with the risk of infection and prevention of infectious complications in multiple myeloma in the context of emerging therapies, and offer recommendations for preventing these complications.

Context The belamaf US EAP (NCT03763370) provided medicine access to patients unable to participate in a clinical trial prior to regulatory agency approval. Objective To obtain insight from the belamaf EAP on patient types potentially eligible for belamaf treatment in a real-world setting. Methods The EAP included patients with RRMM who received ≥3 prior lines of therapy and were refractory to proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. Patients received belamaf 2.5 mg/kg Q3W. Safety was closely monitored, and dose delays/reductions were permitted to manage adverse events. Treating physicians re-evaluated eligibility to continue belamaf at each treatment cycle; patients could withdraw at any time. The EAP closed following US FDA approval of belamaf. We report baseline characteristics from included patients. Results In this preliminary analysis (as of 3 Feb 2021), 263 patients were screened; 235 were treated with ≥1 dose of belamaf and were included in this analysis. The most common reasons for withdrawal were lack of continued clinical benefit (n=37) and death (n=21); 23 patients continued therapy beyond closure of the program. Of 235 treated patients, 137 (58.3%) were male. Median age was 66 years, with 106 patients (45.1%) aged 75 years. Two hundred eighteen patients had further medical history available; 61 (26.0%) had prior treatment-related toxicities, 10 (4.3%) had active renal disease, and 5 (2.1%) had undergone allogeneic stem cell transplant. Two hundred twenty-one patients had ocular baseline characteristics reported; these included prior glaucoma diagnosis (single-eye, n=16 [6.8%]), prior cataract diagnosis (single, n=124 [52.8%]), history of cataract surgery (single, n=66 [28.1%]), and prior dry eye diagnosis (n=46 [19.6%]). The most common prior anticancer therapies included bortezomib, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and carfilzomib. Data cleaning is ongoing for this study. Conclusions This EAP provides insights from a real-world population of US belamaf-treated patients, which, in addition to data from the pivotal DREAMM-2 study, may help practitioners identify patients potentially eligible for belamaf treatment. Funding GlaxoSmithKline (213304). Drug linker technology licensed from Seagen Inc.; monoclonal antibody produced using POTELLIGENT Technology licensed from BioWa.

Administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) is generally recommended to reduce the duration of severe neutropenia; however, there is limited and conflicting data regarding the optimal timing of G-CSFs post-transplant. A retrospective study was performed at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (NYP/WC) from November 5, 2013 to August 9, 2016 of adult inpatient autologous PBSCT patients who received G-CSF empirically starting on day +5 (early) versus day +12 only if absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was

Introduction Therapeutic options for multiple myeloma (MM) are growing, yet clinical outcomes remain heterogeneous. Cytogenetic analysis and disease staging are mainstays of risk stratification, but data suggest a complex interplay between numerous abnormalities. Myeloma cell proliferation is a metric shown to predict outcomes, but available methods are not feasible in clinical practice. Patients and Methods Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC), using multiple immunostains simultaneously, is universally available for clinical use. We tested mIHC as a method to calculate a plasma cell proliferation index (PCPI). By mIHC, marrow trephine core biopsy samples were costained for CD138, a plasma cell–specific marker, and Ki-67. Myeloma cells (CD138 + ) were counted as proliferating if coexpressing Ki-67. Retrospective analysis was performed on 151 newly diagnosed, treatment-naive patients divided into 2 groups on the basis of myeloma cell proliferation: low (PCPI ≤ 5%, n = 87), and high (PCPI > 5%, n = 64). Results Median overall survival (OS) was not reached versus 78.9 months ( P = .0434) for the low versus high PCPI groups. Multivariate analysis showed that only high-risk cytogenetics (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.02; P = .023), International Staging System (ISS) stage > I (HR = 2.30; P = .014), and PCPI > 5% (HR = 1.70; P = .041) had independent effects on OS. Twenty-three (36%) of the 64 patients with low-risk disease (ISS stage 1, without high-risk cytogenetics) were uniquely reidentified as high risk by PCPI. Conclusion PCPI is a practical method that predicts OS in newly diagnosed myeloma and facilitates broader use of MM cell proliferation for risk stratification.

Summary Background The phase 3 ENDEAVOR trial was a head-to-head comparison of two proteasome inhibitors in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Progression-free survival was previously reported to be significantly longer with carfilzomib administered in combination with dexamethasone than with bortezomib and dexamethasone in an interim analysis. The aim of this second interim analysis was to compare overall survival between the two treatment groups. Methods ENDEAVOR was a phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Patients were recruited from 198 hospitals and outpatient clinics in 27 countries in Europe, North America, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Patients were aged 18 years or older, had relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, and had received between one and three previous lines of therapy. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive carfilzomib and dexamethasone (carfilzomib group) or bortezomib and dexamethasone (bortezomib group) through a blocked randomisation scheme (block size of four), stratified by International Staging System stage, previous lines of treatment, previous proteasome inhibitor therapy, and planned route of bortezomib delivery if assigned to the bortezomib group. Carfilzomib (20 mg/m 2 on days 1 and 2 of cycle 1; 56 mg/m 2 thereafter) was given as a 30-min intravenous infusion on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16 of 28-day cycles; bortezomib (1·3 mg/m 2 ) was given as an intravenous bolus or subcutaneous injection on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of 21-day cycles. Dexamethasone (20 mg oral or intravenous infusion) was given on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, and 23 in the carfilzomib group and on days 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, and 12 in the bortezomib group. The primary endpoint of ENDEAVOR, progression-free survival, has been previously reported. A stratified log-rank test was used to compare overall survival between treatment groups for this prospectively planned second interim analysis. Efficacy assessments were done in all randomly assigned patients (the intention-to-treat population) and the safety analysis included patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01568866, and is no longer enrolling patients. Findings Between June 20, 2012, and June 30, 2014, 1096 patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 929 were randomly assigned (464 to the carfilzomib group and 465 to the bortezomib group). The cutoff date for this prespecified interim analysis was Jan 3, 2017. Median overall survival was 47·6 months (95% CI 42·5–not evaluable) in the carfilzomib group versus 40·0 months (32·6–42·3) in the bortezomib group (hazard ratio 0·791 [95% CI 0·648–0·964], one-sided p=0·010). Grade 3 or worse adverse events were reported in 377 (81%) of 463 patients in the carfilzomib group and 324 (71%) of 456 patients in the bortezomib group, and serious adverse events in 273 (59%) patients in the carfilzomib group and 182 (40%) in the bortezomib group. The most frequent grade 3 or worse adverse events were anaemia (76 [16%] of 463 patients in the carfilzomib group vs 46 [10%] of 456 patients in the bortezomib group), hypertension (67 [15%] vs 15 [3%]), pneumonia (42 [9%] vs 39 [9%]), thrombocytopenia (41 [9%] vs 43 [9%]), fatigue (31 [7%] vs 35 [8%]), dyspnoea (29 [6%] vs ten [2%]), decreased lymphocyte count (29 [6%] vs nine [2%]), diarrhoea (18 [4%] vs 39 [9%]), and peripheral neuropathy (six [1%] vs 28 [6%]). Treatment-related deaths occurred in five (1%) of 463 patients in the carfilzomib group (pneumonia [n=2], interstitial lung disease [n=1], septic shock [n=1], and unknown [n=1]) and two ( Interpretation Carfilzomib provided a significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of death compared with bortezomib. To our knowledge, carfilzomib is the first and only multiple myeloma treatment that extends overall survival in the relapsed setting over the current standard of care. This study is informative for deciding which proteasome inhibitor to use for treating this disease. Funding Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc, an Amgen Inc subsidiary.

The expanding armamentarium of novel agents used in combination to treat multiple myeloma (MM) can induce clinical responses in most newly diagnosed patients, with encouraging outcomes observed in the relapsed/refractory setting. Highly sensitive techniques to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) are increasingly being employed to gauge the depth of response to modern anti-myeloma therapies and help guide therapeutic decisions. MM patients who have not achieved MRD-negativity, as assessed by one of several available assays, pose a therapeutic dilemma in terms of whether to proceed with high-dose therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) versus administering additional cycles of chemotherapy. Results of prospective trials designed to directly address this important management decision are ongoing. In this review we highlight evidence that provides support for deferring ASCT in favor of additional anti-myeloma therapy.

Despite the evolution of effective frontline treatment strategies, many patients with myeloma inevitably relapse. Treatment can be complicated by the interplay of disease-, treatment-, and patient-related factors. Unfortunately, many patients eventually develop disease that is refractory to lenalidomide and bortezomib and have few treatment options. Pomalidomide is a distinct IMiD ® agent recently approved in the US and Europe. We review the pomalidomide mechanism of action, summarizing its direct antimyeloma, immunomodulatory, and stromal-support inhibitory activities. We also detail its clinical development, including establishment of the approved dose/schedule, phase 2 and 3 trials in relapsed and refractory patients, and novel pomalidomide-based combinations.

IgG4-related disease is a newly described systemic fibroinflammatory process, characterized by increase in IgG4-positive plasma cells. Its pathogenesis, including the role of IgG4, remains poorly understood. Plasma cell myeloma is typically associated with a large monoclonal serum spike, which is frequently of IgG isotype. We sought to identify and characterize a subset of IgG4-secreting myeloma, as it may provide a biological model of disease with high serum levels of IgG4. Six out of 158 bone marrow biopsies (4%) from patients with IgG myeloma expressed IgG4. Four patients were men and two were women, with a mean age of 64 (range 53-87) years. Imaging showed fullness of pancreatic head (1), small non-metabolic lymphadenopathy (1), and bone lytic lesions (6). Two patients developed necrotizing fasciitis. All had elevated serum M-protein (mean 2.4, range 0.5-4.2 g/dl), and none had definite signs or symptoms of IgG4-related disease. Four myelomas had plasmablastic morphology. Four had kappa and two had lambda light chain expression. Three cases expressed CD56. Two patients had a complex karyotype. In conclusion, the frequency of IgG4 myeloma correlates with the normal distribution of IgG4 isoform. The patients with IgG4 myeloma appear to have a high rate of plasmablastic morphology and could be predisposed to necrotizing fasciitis. Despite high serum levels of IgG4, none had evidence of IgG4-related disease. These findings suggest that the increased number of IgG4-positive plasma cells is not the primary etiologic agent in IgG4-related disease. Elevated serum levels of IgG4 is not sufficient to produce the typical disease presentation and should not be considered diagnostic of IgG4-related disease.

Introduction This phase Ib study evaluated oprozomib, an oral proteasome inhibitor, plus pomalidomide-dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Patients and Methods Patients received oprozomib once-daily on days 1 to 5 and 15 to 19 (5/14 schedule; 150 mg/day starting dose) or on 2 consecutive days weekly (2/7 schedule; 210 mg/day starting dose) of 28-day cycles, pomalidomide on days 1 to 21 (4 mg/day starting dose), and dexamethasone 20 mg on 2 consecutive days weekly. A 3 + 3 dose-escalation schema was used to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Results Thirty-one patients were treated (5/14, n = 4; 2/7, n = 27). Oprozomib maximum tolerated dose was not defined. The 2/7 schedule (oprozomib 210 mg/day, pomalidomide 4 mg/day) was selected for dose expansion based on overall safety (n = 17). In this group, the most common adverse events (AEs) were gastrointestinal (diarrhea [88.2%], nausea [58.8%], and vomiting [58.8%]); grade ≥ 3 gastrointestinal AEs were uncommon. The most common grade ≥ 3 AEs were hematologic (anemia [47.1%], neutropenia [35.3%], and thrombocytopenia [29.4%]). One dose-limiting toxicity (gastric hemorrhage) occurred; 3 patients discontinued owing to AEs. The overall response rate was 70.6%. Conclusion Safety and pharmacokinetic profiles were concerns with the oprozomib formulation used in this study and need to be improved. Oprozomib-pomalidomide-dexamethasone (2/7 schedule) had encouraging efficacy, supporting an ongoing phase Ib study evaluating new oprozomib formulations for this combination in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Bendamustine has efficacy in multiple myeloma with a toxicity profile limited to myelosuppression. We hypothesized that adding bendamustine to autologous stem cell transplant conditioning in myeloma would enhance response without significant additional toxicity. We conducted a phase 1 trial adding escalating doses of bendamustine to the current standard conditioning of melphalan 200 mg/m2. Twenty-five subjects were enrolled into 6 cohorts. A maximum tolerated dose was not encountered and the highest dose level cohort of bendamustine 225 mg/m2 + melphalan 200 mg/m2 was expanded to further evaluate safety. Overall, there was no transplant related mortality and only one grade 4 dose-limiting toxicity was observed. Median number of days to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 11 (range, 9 to 14) and 13 (range, 10 to 21), respectively. Disease responses at day +100 posttransplantation were progression in 5 (21%), partial response in 1 (4%), very good partial response in 7 (33%), complete response in 1 (4%), and stringent complete response in 9 (38%). Six patients (24%) with pre-existing high-risk disease died from progressive myeloma during study follow-up, all at or beyond 100 days after autologous stem cell transplant. Bendamustine up to a dose of 225 mg/m2 added to autologous stem cell transplantation conditioning with high-dose melphalan in patients with multiple myeloma did not exacerbate expected toxicities.

Reported median overall survival (OS) in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has been reported to be just 3-4 years. As a consequence, first-line treatment has become more aggressive. Single-center studies with R-Hyper-CVAD and/or autologous stem-cell transplant (ASCT) have produced 3-year OS rates80%, prompting many to adopt their use. We evaluated outcomes from a single-center cohort managed in a more traditional fashion.We identified patients with MCL evaluated at Weill Cornell Medical Center since 1997, and included those with known date of diagnosis. An online social security database was used to verify survival.We identified 181 patients with MCL, and date of diagnosis could be determined in 111. Three-year OS from diagnosis was 86% [95% confidence interval (CI) 78% to 92%]. Median OS was 7.1 years (95% CI 63-98 months). Adequate information on therapy was available for 75 patients. Only five were treated upfront with (R)-Hyper-CVAD or ASCT while an additional four patients received one of these regimens subsequently. Treatment type had no significant effect on OS.Outcomes with standard approaches can yield similar survival to that achieved with more intensive approaches. Biases may account for the perceived superiority of aggressive strategies.

The annexin A2 (A2) heterotetramer, consisting of two copies of A2 and two copies of S100A10/p11, promotes fibrinolytic activity on the surface of vascular endothelial cells by assembling plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and accelerating the generation of plasmin. In humans, overexpression of A2 by acute promyelocytic leukemia cells is associated with excessive fibrinolysis and hemorrhage, whereas anti-A2 autoantibodies appear to accentuate the risk of thrombosis in patients with anti-phospholipid syndrome. Complete deficiency of A2 in mice leads to a lack of tPA cofactor activity, accumulation of intravascular fibrin, and failure to clear arterial thrombi. Within the endothelial cell, p11 is required for Src kinase-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of A2, which signals translocation of both proteins to the cell surface. Here we show that p11 is expressed at very low levels in the absence of A2 both in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate further that unpartnered p11 becomes polyubiquitinated and degraded via a proteasome-dependent mechanism. A2 stabilizes intracellular p11 through direct binding, thus masking an autonomous p11 polyubiquitination signal that triggers proteasomal degradation. This interaction requires both the p11-binding N-terminal domain of A2 and the C-terminal domain of p11. This mechanism prevents accumulation of free p11 in the endothelial cell and suggests that regulation of tPA-dependent cell surface fibrinolytic activity is precisely tuned to the intracellular level of p11.

Multiple myeloma is characterized by bone destruction mediated by osteoclastic bone resorption. Skeletal complications of myeloma, including bone pain, fractures, spinal cord compression and hypercalcemia, result in significant morbidity. Gallium nitrate was shown in a small, randomized trial to attenuate the rate of bone loss in patients with myeloma treated with chemotherapy. In a retrospective analysis, we found that patients with advanced multiple myeloma treated with chemotherapy plus gallium nitrate had markedly prolonged median survival compared with similar patients treated with chemotherapy alone (87+ months v 48 months, respectively). These data suggest that gallium nitrate may have a positive, indirect benefit on survival in myeloma by decreasing the rate of bone resorption. Further evaluation of gallium nitrate to attenuate progression of disease in patients with multiple myeloma is warranted.

Twelve patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) underwent treatment with the nonmyelosuppressive combination regimen BLT-D: clarithomycin (Biaxin [BXN], Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) 500 mg orally twice daily, low-dose thalidomide (THAL) 50 mg orally escalated to 200 mg daily, and dexamethasone (DXM) 40 mg orally once weekly all with modification for toxicity. Omeprazole (correction of omepraxole) 20 mgm orally twice daily for 2 days with the DXM, and enteric-coated aspirin 81 mg orally daily were also administered. Twelve patients have been evaluated. All had previously received at least one purine analogue or alkylating agent. Five had a reduction in either leukocytes and/or platelets prior to treatment, of which three were disease-related. Median age was 62 years. All patients received a minimum of 6 weeks of therapy. Of the 12 patients, 10 had a significant response (83%) consisting of three near complete, three major, four partial, and two minor responses. Four of five had restoration of reduced blood counts. Two with minor responses did not receive sufficient dose escalation due to toxicity. Median time on therapy was 7 months (range, 3 to 28 months). Patients were removed from therapy primarily due to neurotoxicity. Drug resistance occurred in three patients, with one transformation to large cell lymphoma. Toxicity was as follows: gastrointestinal (primarily constipation), 42%; neurological, 100%; endocrine, 42%, and thrombotic, 8%. Most toxicities were World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1 or 2; however, neurological toxicity was more prominent and severe in WM patients than in myeloma. BLT-D is effective in WM. Because of its toxicity, predominantly neurological, BLT-D may best serve as an induction regimen or to "rescue" patients with refractory disease or disease-related low counts.

number of patients and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these results and to evaluate the long-term outcome.

Introduction: Treatment of refractory B cell malignancies with engineered T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) directed against CD19 has shown dramatic anti-tumor activity. CS1 (CD319) is a highly expressed surface glycoprotein on malignant plasma cells (mPCs) and promotes their adhesion to the bone marrow niche,making it a relevant target forCARtherapy inmultiplemyeloma (MM). The present work addresses the feasibility of CAR T cell generation fromMM patients after intense chemotherapy and an analysis of their therapeutic potential against primary mPCs. Materials and methods: We designed a CS1 specific CAR with an antigen-binding domain derived from the humanized monoclonal antibody elotuzumab (HuLuc63), comprising a signaling module of CD3 zeta and CD28. CS1 CAR gene constructs were lentivirally transferred to patient bulk CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Results: We confirmed prevalently high CS1 antigen expression on mPCs in all patients. Absolute T cell counts in peripheral blood (PB) from pre-treated MM patients were lower compared to healthy donors, with predominant drop in CD4+ T cell counts. Max 50 ml of PB were sufficient for successful generation of CS1 CAR T cells in all (n 1⁄4 5) patients, and expansion to therapeutic doses within 2 weeks. In vitro functional testing of CAR T cells showed production of IL-2 and IFNg, proliferation in response to antigen recognition and specific lysis of MM cell lines. In a FACS based cytotoxicity assay, co-culture of mPCs with autologous or allogeneic CS1 CAR T cells resulted in rapid destruction of up to 90% of mPCs in 4 hours, whereas control T cells (untransduced and CD19 CAR T cells) had no effect. In a mouse xenograft myeloma model (NSG/MM1.S) patient-derived CS1 CAR T cells showed dramatic anti-myeloma activity, comparable to CS1 CAR T cells from healthy donors. As we observed CS1 expression also on lymphocyte subsets (B, T, NK) in MM patients, the potential ability of CS1 directed CAR T cell therapy to induce fratricide towards CS1+ lymphocytes remains a concern and is focus of ongoing research. Conclusion: Our data illustrate the preclinical feasibility to generate aCS1CARTcell productwith an excellent effector function against primarymPCs, requiring only small volumes of patients’ PB and clinically acceptable lead times. Determining the optimal setting for clinical translation however still warrants careful considerations with regards to possible induction regimens and supportive care. RS-003 Carfilzomib and Dexamethasone in untreated symptomatic multiple myeloma P. Forsberg, A. Rossi, R. Pearse, A. Perry, K. Pekle, D. Jayabalan, S. Ely, M. Coleman, R. Niesvizky, T.M. Mark Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology / Oncology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA

e76 have had prior transplant (69.9% v 20.6%) v pts 70 yr. Median PFS for pts

Introduction and Aims: In the international, phase III VISTA trial, bortezomib (velcade) plus melphalan/prednisone (VMP) was superior to MP across all efficacy end points, including response rate, time to progression (TTP), time to subsequent therapy (TTNT), and overall survival (OS; San Miguel et al, N Eng J Med 2008). Here we present updated survival data after prolonged follow-up, and data on use of subsequent therapy. Methods: Patients were randomized to VMP (n = 344) or MP (n = 338). Patients received nine 6-week cycles of bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 (days 1, 4, 8, 11, 22, 25, 29, 32 in cycles 1-4 and days 1, 8, 22, 29 in cycles 5-9); melphalan 9 mg/m2 and prednisone 60 mg/m2 (days 1-4 in cycles 1-9), or MP alone. Results and Conclusion: VMP offered a significant survival benefit over MP (HR = 0.64; P = .0032); median follow-up, 25.9 months. Three-year OS was 72% versus 59%, respectively. OS was not substantially affected by baseline creatinine clearance. TTNT and treatment-free interval (TFI) were also significantly longer with VMP (TTNT 28.1 months vs. 19.2 months; HR = 0.53; P < .000001; TFI 16.6 months vs. 8.4 months; HR = 0.54; P < .00001). Clinical benefits appeared greater with VMP in patients achieving a complete response versus partial response versus no response. Fewer patients in the VMP versus MP arm (38% vs. 57%, respectively) required subsequent therapy; 16% and 43% received bortezomib, 49% and 44% received thalidomide, and 19% and 6% received lenalidomide, respectively. Bortezomib re-treatment was feasible in the VMP arm (6% CR; Table 1); a 10% CR rate was observed in patients who received bortezomib after MP. Peripheral neuropathy in the VMP arm improved in 79% of events (median, 1.9 months); 60% resolved completely (median, 5.7 months).