Integrating BCMA-directed agents in the treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory MM

During a meeting of the Multiple Myeloma Hub Steering Committee on April 26, 2022, María‑Victoria Mateos chaired a recorded discussion that also featured Nina Shah, Paul Richardson, Morie Gertz, and Heinz Ludwig. The topic of this discussion was “Integrating B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed agents in the treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma”, which was identified as an unmet need within multiple myeloma treatment.

Mateos begins the discussion by posing the question of how to integrate chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell and other BCMA-directed products into clinical practice. Shah discusses the problems of CAR T-cell product availability, as well as the potential of bispecific therapies as they are more readily available. Richardson talks about antibody—drug conjugates (ADCs) and combination therapies, and the risk of keratopathy with some treatments. The committee discuss the convenience of ADCs and the potential of combinations using bispecific therapies and ADCs, with Gertz mentioning the exclusion of some patient subgroups from CAR T-cell trials, meaning bispecifics may be the best alternative for these individuals. Finally, Ludwig talks about the importance of more data becoming available to evaluate the use of BCMA-directed agents in earlier lines of therapy.