Cilta-cel: Key Therapy for Unmet Needs in Myeloma Treatment?

Binod Dhakal, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, discusses some of the challenges often seen in the myeloma space, particularly those with lenalidomide (Revlimid)-refractory multiple myeloma.

At the 2024 International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting, Dhakal is presenting updated findings from the phase 3 CARTITUDE-4 study (NCT04181827) of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; Carvykti) vs the standard of care (SOC) for the treatment of patients with lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma who received 1-3 prior lines of therapy.^1,2

CARTITUDE-4 is a global, randomized, controlled, phase 3 study evaluating cilta-cel, a dual-binding, BCMA-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy vs the SOC, which consists of pomalidomide (Pomalyst), bortezomib (Velcade), and dexamethasone (PVd) or daratumumab (Darzalex), pomalidomide, and dexamethasone (DPd) in this patient population.

Previously, the primary end point of progression-free survival was met in the study as a single cilta-cel infusion reduced risk of progression or death by 74% vs SOC among patients with lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma who received 1-3 prior lines of therapy (HR, 0.26; P <.0001). Here, the agent also led to a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival.²