Carfilzomib in addition to daratumumab and dexamethasone for relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma

Carfilzomib in addition to daratumumab and dexamethasone is in clinical development for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) 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 treatment (‘refractory’ MM).
Carfilzomib, is a proteasome inhibitor. Proteasome is a system within the cells that breaks down proteins that are no longer needed. Cancer cells have an increased need to produce and break down proteins as they multiply rapidly. When carfilzomib stops the proteasome from breaking down proteins in the cancer cells, the proteins build up and cause the cells to die, slowing down the growth of the cancer. The addition of daratumumab and dexamethansone to carfilzomib may potentially improve outcomes and reduce side effects in patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM who have received prior therapies.