Carfilzomib in addition to lenalidomide and dexamethasone in Asian patients with RRMM outside of a clinical trial

• Published in: Annals of hematology Vol. 100; no. 8; pp. 2051 - 2059
• Main Authors: Lee, Ji Hyun, Park, Yong, Kang, Ka-Won, Lee, Je-Jung, Lee, Ho Sup, Eom, Hyeon-Seok, Do, Young Rok, Kim, Jin Seok, Yoon, Sung-Soo, Shin, Dong-Yeop, Koh, Youngil, Kim, Ki-Hyun, Lee, Won Sik, Jo, Jae-Cheol, Lee, Yoo Jin, Lee, Ji Yun, Kim, Dae Sik, Shim, Hyeok, Chang, Myung Hee, Kim, Sung-Hyun, Min, Chang-Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Clinical trials; Hematology; Immunotherapy; Inhibitor drugs; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Original Article; Steroids; Targeted cancer therapy; Carfilzomib; Lenalidomide; Asia; Relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma; Real-world
• ISSN: 0939-5555; 1432-0584
• DOI: 10.1007/s00277-021-04407-0

Carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd) effectively improve survival in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). However, the outcome of KRd treatment in Asian patients reflecting a general RRMM population outside of a clinical trial has not been reported. Fifty-five RRMM patients who were treated with carfilzomib in combination with Rd from the time of the first approval of KRd in the Republic of Korea were analyzed. The median age was 61 years. The percentage of patients with an ECOG performance status ≥ 3, creatinine clearance < 50 mL/min, high-risk cytogenetics, and ≥ 4 lines of prior treatment were 9%, 22%, 31%, and 27%, respectively. Forty-one patients started treatment with KRd, whereas the remaining 14 patients (25%) were added carfilzomib during the Rd treatment. In the whole cohort, the overall response rate was 73% and progression-free survival was 8.8 months. The addition of carfilzomib in patients who were refractory or had disease progression during Rd treatment reattained a response in half of the patients. The advantage of carfilzomib with Rd was significant in patients in the first relapse. Toxicity profile was acceptable, excluding severe infections. Carfilzomib in combination with Rd is effective and has a reasonable adverse event rate in Asian patients with RRMM.