What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 43 patients with multiple myeloma. The study was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was an early-stage trial — researchers are still confirming safety and getting an early look at how well the treatment works. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
7 in 10 patients responded to the infusion, and 5 had no cancer detectable in their bone marrow.
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2020 · NCT02514239
These findings — that at the best dose tested, most patients' cancer shrank or disappeared — were published in the Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 43 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with multiple myeloma, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an early-stage study and the treatment is not yet FDA-approved. The infusion showed promise for people with multiple myeloma who had already tried other treatments, but it required long hospital stays for continuous infusion. Ask your doctor about open trials or related approved options for multiple myeloma.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open multiple myeloma trials
AZD0305 as Monotherapy or in Combination With Anticancer Agents in Participants With Multiple Myeloma
This is a Phase I/II, modular, open-label, multicenter, dose escalation, and dose expansion/optimization study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, PK, immunogenicity, pharmacodynamics and efficacy of AZD0305 as monotherapy and in combination with other anticancer agents in participants with MM.
Alternate Doses and Dosing Schedules of Belantamab Mafodotin for Treatment of Triple-Class Refractory Multiple Myeloma
This phase II trial tests alternate doses and dosing schedules of belantamab mafodotin in treating patients with triple-class multiple myeloma that has come back (after a period of improvement) (recurrent) and/or does not respond to treatment (or that has not responded to previous treatment) (refractory). Belantamab mafodotin is a monoclonal antibody, belantamab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, mafodotin. Belantamab is a form of targeted therapy because it attaches to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as BCMA receptors, and delivers mafodotin to kill them. This trial may help researchers determine if alternate doses and dosing schedules work better in preventing certain side effects, such as eye toxicity, and treating patients with recurrent or refractory multiple myeloma.