AbbVie’s Multiple Myeloma Drug Succeeds in Phase 3 Trial, With ‘Significantly Fewer Side Effects’

AbbVie achieved the primary goal in a phase 3 trial of etentamig, a treatment for multiple myeloma.

According to BioPharma Dive on the 4th (local time), AbbVie said its bispecific antibody drug etentamig significantly extended progression-free survival compared with standard treatment in a phase 3 trial involving patients with multiple myeloma.

Etentamig is a bispecific antibody drug that binds simultaneously to tumor cells and T cells to induce an immune response. It entered the market more than 4 years after Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Tecvayli, the first drug in the same class.

The trial enrolled 421 patients with multiple myeloma, half of whom received etentamig. The trial was disclosed early after an interim analysis identified a significant difference.

In terms of efficacy, etentamig reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 60% compared with standard treatment. The response rate was 74%, substantially higher than the 46% reported in the standard-treatment group.

In terms of safety, the incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was 28%, and only 1 patient experienced the neurologic adverse event ICANS. By comparison, Tecvayli’s CRS incidence in clinical trials was about three-quarters, Pfizer’s Elrexfio’s was more than half, and Regeneron’s Lymphir was 46%.

AbbVie said the lower rate of adverse events could reduce the burden of posttreatment monitoring and expand use in community hospitals.

Peter Voorhees, clinical investigator and head of the plasma cell disorders division at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, said etentamig “has the potential to expand access beyond specialized treatment centers to outpatient and community-based settings.”

AbbVie plans to discuss the clinical results with regulatory authorities and present the data at the annual meeting of the International Myeloma Society later this month.