Cilta-Cel Improves OS in R/R MM

RIO DE JANEIRO — A single infusion of the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy ciltacabtagene autoleucel, or cilta-cel (CARVYKTI, Janssen Biotech, Inc.), reduces the risk for death by 45% vs standard-of-care (SoC) therapies in patients with lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma, according to the latest data from the phase 3 CARTITUDE-4 study.

“Cilta-cel is the first CAR T-cell therapy to demonstrate an overall survival benefit in multiple myeloma,” María-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, said during a presentation of the updated CARTITUDE-4 data at the annual meeting of the International Myeloma Society (IMS) 2024 in late September.

A prespecified overall survival (OS) analysis at a median follow-up of 34 months showed that median OS was not reached in either the cilta-cel or SoC therapy arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55). The 30-month OS rates were 76% and 64% in the arms, respectively, said Mateo, a professor at the University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.

The significant OS benefit was sustained across all prespecified subgroups, she noted.

The US Food and Drug Administration first approved cilta-cel in 2022 for use after at least four prior lines of therapy in patients with lenalidomide-resistant multiple myeloma based on findings from the CARTITUDE-1 trial. In April 2024, based on progression-free survival (PFS) findings at median follow-up of 16 months in CARTITUDE-4 (HR for progression/death vs SoC, 0.26), that approval was expanded to include patients with lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma after one or more prior lines of therapy.

“CARVYKTI demonstrated remarkable efficacy as a personalized, one-time infusion in the earlier treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma as shown through the CARTITUDE-4 study results,” study co-author Binod Dhakal, MD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, stated in a press release announcing that expansion. “With this approval, I’m excited for patients who may have the opportunity for a treatment-free period for their multiple myeloma as early as first relapse, with the hope of eliminating the burden of having to be on continuous treatment while living with this challenging disease.”

At the latest analysis, PFS was not reached in the cilta-cel arm and was 11.79 months with SoC, Mateo said.

The 30-month PFS rates were 59% and 26%, respectively (HR, 0.29), and the PFS benefit was observed across prespecified subgroups.

Patients in the cilta-cel arm also had better complete response rates (77% vs 24%), overall response rates (85% vs 67%), and minimal residual disease-negativity rates (62% vs 18%).

Median duration of response was not reached with cilta-cel and was 18.69 months with SoC, and median time to symptom worsening was not reached vs 34.33 months, respectively.

Safety at the latest update was consistent with prior analyses.

The CARTITUDE findings continue to support the overall benefit-risk profile of cilta-cel vs SoC in patients with lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma as early as after the first relapse, Mateo concluded.

Despite the “compelling efficacy” of cilta-cel, there remains a need for “a safer and equally (if not more) effective CAR-T product” in this setting, Manni Mohyuddin, MD, told Medscape Medical News.

“The trial does not change my practice,” said Mohyuddin, an assistant professor in the multiple myeloma program at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

“We must recognize that the control arm [in CARTITUDE-4] isn’t the best available standard of care,” he explained, noting that carfilzomib-containing triplets were not allowed. “Furthermore, overall survival is dependent on access to good therapies upon relapse, and patients in the control arm did not cross over to get cilta-cel at the time of relapse.

“We do not know if overall survival benefit would have been present if the control arm was better and if there was access to better post-protocol therapy.”

Toxicity is also a concern, he said.

“I think of it as high risk-high reward. There was a sevenfold increased incidence of secondary hematological malignancies in the cilta-cel arm compared to standard of care — this is a very concerning signal that dampens my enthusiasm to use this drug early for everyone,” he added.

For example, although Parkinsonism was rare, it generally did not resolve and lasted years, resolving in only 13% of affected patients, with a median time to resolution of 523 days.

“These are horrible odds, and for many patients there may be safer options,” he noted, adding that “cilta-cel is an option I would consider for some relapses (very early relapse while still on multi-agent therapy, high-risk disease), but otherwise I think personally it’s too toxic for most first relapses.”

Mateo reported relationships with AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, GSK, Janssen, Kite, Oncopeptides, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi, Stemline Therapeutics, and Takeda. Mohyuddin had no disclosures.

Sharon Worcester, MA, is an award-winning medical journalist based in Birmingham, Alabama, writing for Medscape Medical News, MDedge, and other affiliate sites. She currently covers oncology, but she has also written on a variety of other medical specialties and healthcare topics. She can be reached at sworcester@mdedge.comor on X @SW_MedReporter.