The role of belantamab mafodotin for patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma

• Published in: Therapeutic Advances in Hematology Vol. 11; p. 2040620720979813
• Main Authors: Becnel, Melody R., Lee, Hans C.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 2020; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Advances in Multiple Myeloma (MM); Immunotherapy; Monoclonal antibodies; Multiple myeloma; Targeted cancer therapy; belantamab mafodotin; multiple myeloma; antibody–drug conjugate (ADC); B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)
• ISSN: 2040-6207; 2040-6215
• DOI: 10.1177/2040620720979813

Belantamab mafodotin (belamaf) is a first-in-class anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) that recently gained regulatory approval for the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients who have received at least four prior therapies including an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb), a proteasome inhibitor (PI), and an immunomodulatory drug (IMiD). As the first BCMA-targeted therapy to be approved in multiple myeloma along with its “off-the-shelf” outpatient administration, belamaf addresses a significant unmet need in RRMM that is refractory to IMiD, PI, and anti-CD38 mAb therapy, otherwise known as triple-class refractory myeloma. Belamaf is also associated with frequent corneal ocular adverse events, which represents a unique toxicity in multiple myeloma therapeutics, and its administration requires a multidisciplinary approach with oncologists and eye care specialists to safely and effectively manage patients on belamaf therapy. In this review, we discuss the preclinical and clinical data leading to the regulatory approval of belamaf, the monitoring and mitigation strategies of corneal ocular adverse events, and its current and future role in the RRMM treatment landscape.