Belantamab mafodotin for relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma – Fourth line


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Indications: Multiple myeloma (MM)
Year: 2019

Belantamab mafodotin is in clinical development for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) in patients who are refractory or have relapsed to prior treatments. MM is a rare, incurable cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow where large amounts of abnormal plasma cells are produced and interfere with the production of red and white blood cells and platelets. People with MM will experience periods of time without symptoms followed by periods when the illness comes back (‘relapsed’ MM). Eventually the periods without symptoms will shorten and the illness will become immune to the drugs given to treat it (‘refractory’ MM).
Belantamab mafodotin is a first-in-class therapy delivered via intravenous infusion. This medicine is an antibody drug conjugate comprising a B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting monoclonal antibody that delivers a cytotoxin (cysMMAF) to abnormal plasma cells, which interferes with the cell’s ability to divide and grow and encourages the immune system to attack the affected cells, slowing the progression of the disease. If licensed, belantamab mafodotin has the potential to improve outcomes in patients that have already received prior treatments but their myeloma has come back.