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Daratumumab: A Review in Combination Therapy for Transplant-Eligible Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

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A Correction to this article was published on 17 December 2020

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Abstract

Intravenous daratumumab (DARZALEX®), a human monoclonal antibody targeting CD38, is approved in the EU and USA for use in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation. A subcutaneous formulation of daratumumab has also been approved in the EU and USA (DARZALEX FASPRO™) for use in MM. In the pivotal phase III CASSIOPEIA trial in adults with newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible MM, the addition of intravenous daratumumab to bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone significantly increased the proportion of patients with a stringent complete response and significantly prolonged progression-free survival; overall survival data are not yet mature. Some facets of health-related quality of life were improved by the addition of daratumumab. The addition of daratumumab had a minimal effect on overall toxicity and the most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events with daratumumab combination therapy were haematological (e.g. neutropenia, lymphopenia). The approval of daratumumab as combination therapy in patients with newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible MM expands the range of MM treatment settings in which daratumumab is an option and the availability of the subcutaneous formulation will likely be of benefit to patients.

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Fig. 1

adapted from McKeage and Lyseng-Williamson

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Change history

  • 17 December 2020

    Correction in reviewer name.

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Acknowledgements

During the peer review process, the manufacturer of daratumumab was also offered an opportunity to review this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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    Yvette N. Lamb

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Correspondence to Yvette N. Lamb.

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The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

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Yvette N. Lamb is a salaried employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, is responsible for the article content and declares no relevant conflicts of interest.

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Enhanced material for this Adis Drug Evaluation can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12678944.

The manuscript was reviewed by: N. Callander, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA; C. Cerchione, Hematology Unit, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy; S. Knop, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; S. J. Kumar, Hematology and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

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Lamb, Y.N. Daratumumab: A Review in Combination Therapy for Transplant-Eligible Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma. Drugs 80, 1455–1464 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-020-01385-x

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