Elotuzumab in Combination with Lenalidomide, Bortezomib, Dexamethasone and Autologous Transplantation for Newly-Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: Results from the Randomized Phase III GMMG-HD6 Trial

• Published in: Blood Vol. 138; no. Supplement 1; p. 486
• Main Authors: Goldschmidt, Hartmut, Mai, Elias K, Bertsch, Uta, Besemer, Britta, Haenel, Mathias, Miah, Kaya, Fenk, Roland, Schlenzka, Jana, Munder, Markus, Dürig, Jan, Blau, Igor Wolfgang, Huhn, Stefanie, Hose, Dirk, Jauch, Anna, Kunz, Christina, Neubauer, Andreas, Scheid, Christof, Schroers, Roland, Metzler, Ivana v., Schieferdecker, Aneta, Thomalla, Joerg, Reimer, Peter, Mahlberg, Rolf, Graeven, Ullrich, Kremers, Stephan, Martens, Uwe M., Kunz, Christian, Hensel, Manfred, Seidel-Glaetzer, Andrea, Weisel, Katja, Raab, Marc-Steffen, Salwender, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 23.11.2021
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood-2021-147323

Background: Treatment regimens including a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulating agent and a monoclonal antibody (moAb) play an emerging role in the treatment of newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). This multicenter phase III trial of the German-speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group (GMMG HD6) investigated the addition of the anti-SLAMF7 moAb elotuzumab to lenalidomide / bortezomib / dexamethasone (RVd) in induction and consolidation therapy as well as to lenalidomide maintenance treatment in transplant-eligible NDMM. Patients and Methods: Patients were equally randomized into four treatment arms, stratified by International Staging System (ISS). Treatment consisted of four 21-day cycles of RVd (arms A1/A2) or elotuzumab-RVd (arms B1/B2) induction therapy, respectively. High-dose melphalan (HDM) and autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) were followed by two 21-day cycles of RVd or elotuzumab-RVd consolidation and lenalidomide or elotuzumab-lenalidomide maintenance for two years (arms A1/B1 vs. A2/B2). Primary objective of the trial was determination of the best of four treatment strategies regarding progression-free survival (PFS) from randomization. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), response rates and safety. Results: Between 06/2015 and 09/2017, 564 patients were included in the trial. The evaluable intention-to-treat (ITT) and safety population comprised 559 and 555 patients (A1: n=139/137; A2: n=141/138; B1: n=137/138; B2: n=142/142). Median age at randomization was 59 (range 27-70) years. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the four treatment arms. Four cycles of induction therapy were completed by 517 patients (92.5% of ITT). At least one HDM/ASCT was applied in 495 (88.6%), of which 116 patients (20.8%) received tandem HDM/ASCT. Consolidation and maintenance therapy were initiated in 469 (83.9%) and 454 (81.2%) patients, respectively. Rates of very good partial response or better (≥VGPR) prior to start of consolidation therapy were 78.9%, 78.2%, 81.5% and 80.7% in arms A1, A2, B1 and B2, respectively (p=0.95). With a median follow-up time of 49.8 months, PFS was not significantly different between the four treatment arms (adjusted log-rank p value stratified by ISS, p=0.86; primary endpoint). OS was similar in all treatment arms (stratified log-rank p=0.43). 3-year PFS/OS rates are 68.8%/89.4%, 68.5%/89.1%, 66.2%/92.5% and 67.2%/89.7% in arm A1, A2, B1 and B2, respectively. Multivariate analyses including age, sex, ISS stage, performance status, serum lactate dehydrogenase level, renal impairment at diagnosis, adverse cytogenetics (del17p, t[4;14] and t[14;16]) and treatment arms identified ISS stages II and III (hazard ratio [HR]=1.42/2.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]= 1.00-2.02/1.36-3.07, p=0.048/<0.001) and adverse cytogenetics (HR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.19-2.25, p=0.003) as significant predictors for shortened PFS. On induction, consolidation and maintenance treatment, at least one (serious) adverse event (grade ≥3 for all AE or ≥2 for infections and infestations, neuropathy, cardiac disorders and thromboembolic events, and any grade for serious AE) occurred in 95.6%, 91.3%, 92.8% and 89.4% of patients in arm A1, A2, B1 and B2, respectively (p=0.25). Most common system organ classes (SOCs) were “infections and infestations”, “neurological disorders”, “blood and lymphatic system disorders”, and “investigations” with no significant differences between the four treatment arms (p=0.39/0.64/0.13/0.42). Overall AE/SAE during lenalidomide vs. elotuzumab-lenalidomide maintenance were comparable (A1/B1: 65.5% vs. A2/B2: 66.4%,p=0.86), though SOC “infections and infestations” was increased in the elotuzumab-lenalidomide arms (A1/B1: 42.9% vs. A2/B2: 51.4%, p=0.05). Conclusions: This is the first phase III trial evaluating elotuzumab in patients with transplant-eligible NDMM. The addition of elotuzumab to RVd induction/consolidation therapy and lenalidomide maintenance did not result in improved PFS or OS. This is in line with previous reports from the ELOQUENT-1 and SWOG-1211 trials, investigating elotuzumab in non-transplant-eligible and high-risk NDMM, while elotuzumab-based combination therapies are effective in relapsed MM (ELOQUENT-2/-3 trials). Further analyses to identify potential subgroups that benefit from elotuzumab-based treatment in our trial are ongoing. Goldschmidt: Incyte: Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; GSK: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Johns Hopkins University: Other: Grant; Molecular Partners: Research Funding; MSD: Research Funding; Mundipharma: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Dietmar-Hopp-Foundation: Other: Grant; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnology: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Grants and/or Provision of Investigational Medicinal Product, Research Funding. Mai: Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel accommodations and expenses, Research Funding; Glaxo Smith Kline: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel accommodations and expenses, Research Funding; Celgene / BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel accommodations and expenses, Research Funding; Janssen-Cilag: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel accommodations and expenses, Research Funding. Besemer: GSK: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Haenel: Jazz: Consultancy, Honoraria; GSK: Consultancy; Bayer Vital: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Fenk: Janssen: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; GSK: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; BMS/Celgene: Honoraria. Munder: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Incyte: Research Funding. Dürig: Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel Support, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel Support, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hose: LamKap Bio: Consultancy, Current Employment; BMS: Research Funding. Scheid: Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Schroers: BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Metzler: GSK: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Schieferdecker: Sebia: Consultancy. Mahlberg: Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; GSK: Honoraria. Graeven: Amgen: Honoraria; Sanofi Aventis: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Honoraria; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria; MSD: Consultancy; Boehringer Ingelheim: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Fujifilm: Honoraria; Roche: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Ipsen Bioscience: Research Funding; MacroGenics: Research Funding. Martens: Celgene: Consultancy; Sanofi-Aventis: Consultancy. Weisel: Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy; Novartis: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria. Raab: Roche: Consultancy; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Me