Philip McCarthy, MD, Professor of Oncology and Internal Medicine and Director of the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Center at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, found the results of the DREAMM-6 study to be “exciting and promising.” He commented: “The overall response rate for belantamab mafodotin in combination with bortezomib/dexamethasone was 78% and with reasonable toxicity, including thrombocytopenia and self-limiting corneal events.”

Philip McCarthy, MD

A number of subsequent studies are evaluating belantamab mafodotin in various combinations and settings: as a single agent vs pomalidomide/dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory disease; in combination with bortezomib/dexamethasone vs bortezomib/dexamethasone alone in newly diagnosed patients ineligible for transplant; and in combination with bortezomib/dexamethasone vs daratumumab/bortezomib/dexamethasone.

“There is a need to mitigate hematologic and corneal toxicity,” Dr. McCarthy maintained. After that, the questions will be: What is the optimal combination therapy? What is the role for belantamab mafodotin in induction, maintenance, and salvage settings? What is its role in the context of other anti-BCMA strategies, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and bispecific T-cell engagers? 

DISCLOSURE: Dr. McCarthy has received honoraria from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Sanofi, and The Binding Site; has served as a consultant or advisor to Bluebird Bio, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Magenta, Sanofi, and The Binding Site; and has received institutional research funding from Celgene.