Why do we need better myeloablative conditioning regimens, and what alternatives are being explored?

During the 47th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Sergio Giralt, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, US. We asked, Why do we need better myeloablative conditioning regimens, and what alternatives are being explored?

Giralt begins by discussing the history of the use of melphalan as a high-dose myeloablative conditioning regimen, then covers the issues surrounding its use, such as the variation in drug exposure for some patients. He then describes alternative therapies with new agents, such as melflufen and targeted radio-immunotherapies.