The Top Myeloma News of 2025

This year brought major advances across the multiple myeloma continuum, underscoring the dynamic, ever-evolving nature of the treatment landscape. With new insights into chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment coordination and delivery as well as the rise of new cellular and bispecific therapies, the latest developments offer meaningful clinical gains for patients, especially in the relapsed or refractory setting.

Here, we showcase the articles detailing the stories that shaped myeloma care this year.

Real-World Evidence Reveals CAR T Sequencing Approach in Myeloma

During a Case-Based Roundtable event, Dr Jorge Monge discussed real-world data on sequencing CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Evidence shows that patients naive to B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted therapies achieved higher response rates (92% vs 70%) and better progression-free survival (PFS) than those previously exposed.

Additionally, a direct comparison of standard-of-care agents revealed that ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; Carvykti) yielded better response rates (70% vs 47%, complete response) and survival outcomes compared with idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; Abecma), though with higher rates of toxicity.

Coordination Is Essential During and After Referral for CAR T in Myeloma

During another Case-Based Roundtable, Dr Konstantinos Sdrimas and community oncologists emphasized that seamless cooperation between community and academic centers is vital for successful CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma. Key discussions focused on selecting appropriate bridging therapies—avoiding treatments like steroids that may "burn bridges"—and managing patient fears regarding neurotoxicities like immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS).

The experts noted that while severe toxicities are rare, early recognition is critical. Patients are typically transitioned back to community care within 30 days post-infusion. Successful long-term management relies on shared protocols for vaccines, intravenous immunoglobulin, and monitoring for late-onset adverse effects.

Anito-Cel Shows Durable Responses in Heavily Pretreated R/R Multiple Myeloma

At the 2025 EHA Congress, data from the phase 2 iMMagine-1 trial revealed that anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito-cel) produced a 97% overall response rate (ORR) in heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma after a median follow-up of approximately 1 year. Notably, 68% of patients achieved a stringent complete response, and 93% reached minimal residual disease negativity.

The therapy utilizes a unique D-Domain binder, which enhances cell stability and transduction efficiency. Safety results were manageable, with mostly low-grade cytokine release syndrome and only 1% grade 3 ICANS. Anito-cel is now moving into the phase 3 iMMagine-3 trial for earlier lines of treatment.

Teclistamab, Daratumumab, Pomalidomide Is Feasible in Multiple Myeloma

In a March 2025 interview, Dr Anita D’Souza discussed pooled data from the phase 1 MajesTEC-2 and TRIMM-2 trials, which demonstrated that the triplet regimen of teclistamab (Tecvayli), daratumumab (Darzalex), and pomalidomide (Pomalyst) is a feasible treatment for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The analysis reported an 88.5% ORR, with a 61.5% complete response rate or better and a median PFS of 26.5 months.

Although neutropenia and infections were common, immunoglobulin replacement helped mitigate fatal complications. Despite the small cohort size and ongoing studies investigating other regimens, the key message was that the triplet offers a viable, immunologically-sound treatment option when infection monitoring is maintained.

Talquetamab Shows Promise for High-Risk Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma

The phase 1/2 MonumenTAL-1 trial demonstrated that talquetamab (Talvey), a GPRC5D-directed bispecific antibody, provides significant efficacy for patients with heavily pretreated, high-risk relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Data show an ORR of approximately 70% to 74% across different dosing schedules, even in patients previously exposed to T-cell redirection therapies like CAR T-cell therapy, where the ORR was 66.7%.

Crucially, patients with high-risk cytogenetics and penta-refractory disease maintained strong responses, with a median duration of response reaching 18 months in some groups. Experts highlight that talquetamab's ability to provide deep, durable responses in these difficult-to-treat populations makes it a vital later-line option.