Francesco Maura, MD, on Genomic Determinants of Resistance in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Treated With Targeted Immunotherapy
2022 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition
Francesco Maura, MD, of the University of Miami, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses his team’s findings in which they defined a comprehensive catalogue of genomic determinants of response to DKRd (carfilzomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The researchers have identified a number of new genomic alterations that explain resistance to the agents currently used in combination regimens (Abstract 470).
Transcript
Disclaimer: This video transcript has not been proofread or edited and may contain errors.
The study was, the purpose was to identify mechanism or resistance to a combination of drugs called quadruplets with daratumumab, carfilzomib, Revlimid and dexamethasone for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The study was published two years ago by Ola Landgren [inaudible 00:00:21] Oncology as a clinical trial. This study is the correlative based on the genomics, so we sequence for genome sequencing of all the available samples. The main result is that we discover several known and new genomic features associated with poor or worse outcome and failure to achieve sustainable negativity. These features tend to cocoon together.
So what we identify is a complex network that require more cases to be really deciphered. But that's an important step because it highlights how the technology we use that is whole genome sequencing is probably the way to go to re-understand the DNA based mechanism of resistance for multiple myeloma. But the next steps are in expanding the sample size, working with the community with additional trials where the quadruplets combination with daratumumab plus bortezomib inhibitor plus immunomodulatory agent and corticosteroids were used for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. Try to see also if the same mechanism are involved in a relapse settings because patients get also these drugs in a relapse setting where the disease transform or evolve after previous therapy. And using all this information, once we have a large number of cases, we can of course develop prediction to identify patients that can benefit and patients where they cannot benefit from these regimens. And so for the one that don't, we can identify alternative strategies.
The ASCO Post Staff
Jia Ruan, MD, PhD, of Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses trial results demonstrating that the triple chemotherapy-free combination of acalabrutinib, lenalidomide, and rituximab is well tolerated, highly effective, and produces high rates of minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative complete response as an initial treatment for patients with mantle cell lymphoma, including those with TP53 mutations. Real-time MRD analysis may enable treatment de-escalation during maintenance to minimize toxicity, which warrants further evaluation. An expansion cohort of acalabrutinib/lenalidomide/obinutuzumab is being launched (Abstract 73).
The ASCO Post Staff
Andrew Matthews, MD, of the Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, discusses findings from a large, multicenter study that showed superior outcomes with 7 + 3 chemotherapy (cytarabine continuously for 7 days, along with short infusions of an anthracycline on each of the first 3 days) vs venetoclax in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this real-world data set, the 7 + 3 cohort outperformed historical benchmarks in overall survival and early mortality, perhaps reflecting improved later lines of therapy and patient selection. Prospective studies (such as NCT04801797) must confirm the superiority of intensive chemotherapy (Abstract 426).
The ASCO Post Staff
Jorge E. Cortes, MD, of Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, discusses new findings on vodobatinib, which was administered to patients with chronic-phase Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and appeared to be efficacious and safe in people who had received therapy with two or three prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Vodobatinib remains a potential option for these highly refractory patients. A phase II study (NCT02629692) of vodobatinib is ongoing in CML patients whose disease has failed to respond to three or more TKIs, including ponatinib (Abstract 84).
The ASCO Post Staff
Alex F. Herrera, MD, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, discusses results from the POLARIX study, which showed that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has prognostic value for patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients who did not achieve 2.5 or greater log-fold change and/or did not have ctDNA clearance following one cycle of polatuzumab vedotin along with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone had inferior outcomes than those who did. Early changes in ctDNA levels may be of use in risk-adapted trial designs to identify patients in need of alternative treatment. (Abstract 542).
The ASCO Post Staff
Elias Jabbour, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses an analysis confirming that olverembatinib is a potentially viable treatment option for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including those with CML whose disease did not respond to ponatinib or asciminib, or who had a T315I mutation (Abstract 82).
