What the trial was testing
The APOLLO enrolled 304 patients with multiple myeloma. The study was sponsored by Stichting European Myeloma Network and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. 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
12.4 vs. 6.9 months without disease progression on the daratumumab triplet.
The Lancet Oncology · 2021 · NCT03180736
These findings — that progression-free survival on daratumumab + pom/dex vs. pom/dex alone — were published in the The Lancet Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 304 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
Daratumumab (Darzalex) plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone is FDA-approved and available now for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The subcutaneous form (Darzalex Faspro) is faster to give than IV. Ask your hematologist whether this triplet fits your treatment history.
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
Olanzapine 2.5 vs 5 mg in Quadruplet Nausea/Vomiting Prophylaxis Before High-Dose Melphalan
Patients who receive a chemotherapy called melphalan are at high risk of having nausea and vomiting. A medication called olanzapine has been shown to decrease nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy. A previous research study found the 10 mg dose of olanzapine (combined with 3 standard medications used routinely to prevent nausea/vomiting) to be effective for patients who received melphalan chemotherapy, but several other studies have shown many patients have a side effect of sleepiness (e.g., sedation) with that dose of the medication. Our study will compare two lower doses of olanzapine (5 mg and 2.5 mg) in combination with the 3 standard medications used to prevent nausea/vomiting in the patients who receive melphalan chemotherapy to determine which dose is effective in preventing nausea and vomiting with the lowest amount of sleepiness side effect.
Study of Iberdomide, Bortezomib, Dexamethasone With Isatuximab Added on Demand for ND-NTE MM Patients
This study will evaluate efficacy and tolerability of iberdomide, bortezomib, dexamethasone and isatuximab on demand administered in combination for newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma patients.