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Janakiram, Murali

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9323-8007

Mayo Clinic

City Of Hope National Medical Center

Citations 23

Real-World Outcomes with BCMA- and GPRC5D-Targeting Bispecific Antibodies in Plasma Cell Leukemia
Gaballa, Mahmoud R. , Julian, Kelley , Afrough, Aimaz , Hansen, Doris K. , Goel, Utkarsh , Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva, Dima, Danai , Rana, Masooma , Hosoya, Hitomi , Mikkilineni, Lekha , Fogel, Lindsay , Raza, Shahzad, Zanwar, Saurabh , Sannareddy, Aishwarya, Borogovac, Azra , Green, Kimberly M , Biran, Noa, Shune, Leyla, Ouchveridze, Evguenia, DeJarnette, Shaun, Ferreri, Christopher J, Richards, Tiffany, Bal, Susan , Ye, Jing Christine, Shain, Kenneth H. , Harada, Ken , Avila, Gabriel De, Voorhees, Peter, Khouri, Jack , Sidana, Surbhi , Lin, Yi, Patel, Krina K. , Sborov, Douglas W. , Gaballa, Mahmoud , De Menezes Silva Corraes, Andre , Banerjee, Rahul , Zanwar, Saurabh S , Borogovac, Azra , Davis, James A , Green, Kimberly , Zolotov, Eli , Herr, Megan M. , Abid, Muhammad Bilal , Bal, Susan , Ali, Hossam M , Kaur, Gurbakhash , Shain, Kenneth H , Castaneda Puglianini, Omar , Hassan, Hamza , Anderson, Larry D , Khouri, Jack , Sidana, Surbhi , Portuguese, Andrew J , Janakiram, Murali , Lee, Hans C , Patel, Krina , Sborov, Douglas W , Dima, Danai , Hosoya, Hitomi , Rana, Masooma S , Julian, Kelley L , Hansen, Doris K , Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva , Raza, Shahzad , Banerjee, Rahul , Pasvolsky, Oren , Sannareddy, Aishwarya , Davis, James A. , Biran, Noa , Zolotov, Eli , Shune, Leyla , Atrash, Shebli , Ferreri, Christopher J. , Richards, Tiffany, Abid, Muhammad Bilal , Ali, Hossam M. , Ye, Jing Christine, Richard, Shambavi , Kaur, Gurbakhash , Puglianini, Omar Castañeda , Rossi, Adriana , Hassan, Hamza , Anderson, Larry D. , Voorhees, Peter M. , Portuguese, Andrew J. , Janakiram, Murali , Lee, Hans C. , Grajales‐Cruz, Ariel

Blood Advances | July 2, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1182/bloodadvances.2026020826 Get It

Patients with plasma cell leukemia (PCL) are generally excluded from pivotal T-cell redirecting bispecific antibody (BsAb) trials. We evaluated real-world outcomes in a multicenter retrospective study of 122 patients with primary or secondary PCL across 15 academic centers, categorized as 'active' (≥5% circulating plasma cells within 30 days of BsAb initiation) or 'historical'. In a heavily pretreated population, patients received teclistamab (37%), elranatamab (11%), talquetamab as a line of therapy (Tal LOT, 42%), or talquetamab as bridging therapy to CAR-T (Tal Bridge, 11%). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was grade 1-2 in 56% and grade 3-4 in 4%, whereas neurotoxicity was grade 1-2 in 16% and grade 3-4 in 5%. Among 110 evaluable patients, the overall response rate (ORR) was 55%, including 61% with Tal LOT, 58% with Tal Bridge, 46% with elranatamab, and 33% with teclistamab. With a median follow-up of 8.3 months, talquetamab demonstrated superior survival. Tal LOT showed a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 5.5 months and a median overall survival (mOS) of 11.5 months, and both were unreached in the Tal Bridge cohort. In contrast, teclistamab and elranatamab showed a mPFS of 1.2 and 1.6 months and mOS of 8.1 and 3.6 months, respectively (P=0.007, P=0.023). In active PCL, Tal LOT achieved mPFS/mOS of 6.9/12.2 months versus 0.7/1.4 months with teclistamab and 1.0/3.1 months with elranatamab, respectively (P<0.001, P=0.002). Multivariable analysis associated active PCL with worse survival and Tal LOT with improved outcomes. BsAbs were safe in PCL, with talquetamab showing superior outcomes compared with BCMA-directed BsAbs.
Real‐World Evaluation of Talquetamab for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma ( RRMM ): An International Myeloma Working Group Immunotherapy Registry Real‐World Analysis
Janakiram, Murali , Tan, C. R., Mian, Hira, Huang, C Y, Popat, Rakesh , Martínez‐Lopez, Joaquín, Kastritis, Efsthathios, Chng, Wee-Joo, Kapoor, Prashant , Dave, Mrugakshi, Bal, Susan, Garderet, Laurent, Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva , Riedhammer, Christine , Steinbrunn, Torsten, Nagarajan, Chandramouli, Einsele, Hermann, Martin, T, Krishnan, Amrita, Lin, Yi, Martínez‐López, Joaquín , Frigault, Matthew J. , Larrea, Carlos Fernández de , Mian, Hira , Tan, Carlyn R , Kastritis, Efstathios , Corona, Magdalene , Martinez-Lopez, Joaquin , Mian, Hira , Janakiram, Murali , Tan, Carlyn , Popat, Rakesh , Chng, Wee Joo , Bal, Susan , Garderet, Laurent , Steinbrunn, Torsten , Nagarajan, Chandramouli

American Journal of Hematology | May 20, 2026 | Volume: 101 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 1928-1937

10.1002/ajh.70376 Get It

ABSTRACT Talquetamab is a GPRC5D × CD3 bispecific antibody approved for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). This is the first real‐world study to comprehensively report muco‐cutaneous toxicities, infections, and efficacy of talquetamab in 151 patients across five countries with the longest follow‐up reported enabling better efficacy and toxicity estimates. The median age was 64 years; high‐risk cytogenetics were present in 42%; ECOG ≥ 2 in 22%; 12% had creatinine clearance < 30; and 55% would not have met MonumenTAL‐1 eligibility. Patients received a median of 6 prior lines of therapy, 53% were penta‐refractory, and 75% received prior BCMA therapy. Talquetamab was associated with skin toxicity in 39.7%, nail toxicity in 75.5%, dysgeusia in 60.4%, and oral toxicities in 62.9%, with grade ≥ 3 events uncommon (≤ 4%) and dose interruptions infrequent (9.6% for skin toxicity, 6.9% for dysgeusia, and 4.0% for oral toxicities). These findings underscore the need for improved supportive care for muco‐cutaneous toxicities. In multivariate analysis, only platelet count < 50 (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.15–2.83) was associated with inferior PFS, while penta‐refractory status, absolute lymphocyte count < 0.4, and prior BCMA‐targeted therapy were not statistically significant. With a median follow‐up of 12.7 months, the overall response rate was 67.6%, median progression‐free survival was 7 months, and 12‐month overall survival was 65%. This study shows that talquetamab efficacy is maintained in a heavily pretreated real‐world population with high prior BCMA exposure and notable comorbidity burden.
Early mortality with bispecific antibody therapy in RRMM: an IMWG immunotherapy database real-world analysis
Tan, Carlyn Rose, Usmani, Saad Z., Derkach, Andriy , Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva, Parrondo, Ricardo , Ailawadhi, S., Asoori, Sireesha, Dave, Mrugakshi, Popat, Rakesh, Morjaria, Oliver, Hajek, Roman , Htut, Myo , Kastritis, Efstathios, Dimopoulos, M A, Martínez-López, Joaquín, Nagarajan, Chandramouli, Bal, Susan, Costa, Luciano J., Einsele, Hermann, Steinbrunn, Torsten, Riedhammer, Christine , Banerjee, Rahul, Chng, Wee Joo, Tso, Allison CY, Lin, Yi, Martin, Tom, Mian, Hira, Martínez‐López, Joaquín , Mian, Hira , Tan, Carlyn R , de Meneze Silva Corraes, Andre, Mihalyova, Jana , Visram, Alissa , Kastritis, Efstathios , Martinez-Lopez, Joaquin , Nagarajan, Chandramouli , Bal, Susan , Costa, Luciano J , Waldschmidt, Johannes M , Banerjee, Rahul , Tso, Allison , Martin, Thomas , Mian, Hira , Parrondo, Ricardo D , Derkach, Andriy , Usmani, Saad Z. , Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Popat, Rakesh , Hájek, Roman , Janakiram, Murali , Visram, Alissa , Kastritis, Efstathios , Dimopoulos, Meletios Α. , Nagarajan, Chandramouli , Bal, Susan , Costa, Luciano J. , Steinbrunn, Torsten , Banerjee, Rahul , Chng, Wee Joo

Blood Advances | February 24, 2026 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 2937-2946

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025019231 Get It

Abstract Recent therapeutic advances, including bispecific antibodies (bsAbs), have improved outcomes for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). However, early mortality (EM) remains a significant challenge, even in the era of novel immunotherapies. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective analysis of real-world patients with RRMM treated with commercial bsAbs to evaluate the incidence and causes of EM. Between May 2022 and June 2025, a total of 441 patients were treated across 7 countries. EM, defined as death within 12 months of therapy initiation, occurred in 148 patients (34%), with a median time from bsAb initiation to death of 2.87 months (interquartile range, 1.38-6.85). The leading cause of EM was progressive disease (72%), followed by infection (13%); regardless of the cause of death, 82% had active disease at the time of death. Our findings highlight that despite encouraging efficacy, EM remains high among real-world bsAb recipients, emphasizing the need for improved disease control strategies and supportive care interventions.
Talquetamab for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma : Real-world outcomes from the US multiple myeloma immunotherapy consortium
Afrough, Aimaz , Shain, Kenneth H. , Zanwar, Saurabh , Hosoya, Hitomi , Davis, James A. , Sannareddy, Aishwarya , Ye, Jing Christine, Neupane, Karun , Richards, Tiffany, Krishnan, Amrita , Biran, Noa , Shune, Leyla , Bal, Susan , Fogel, Lindsay , Rana, Masooma , Ali, Hossam M. , Joiner, Laura, Ferreri, Christopher J. , Green, Kimberly M , Varga, Cindy , Gaballa, Mahmoud , Mikkilineni, Lekha , Bhurtel, Jenny , Sborov, Douglas W. , Voorhees, Peter M. , Goel, Utkarsh , Khouri, Jack , Sidana, Surbhi , Costa, Luciano da Fontoura , Patel, Krina K. , Sidana, Surbhi , Davis, James A , Hosoya, Hitomi , Ali, Hossam M , Pasvolsky, Oren , Grajales‐Cruz, Ariel , Hansen, Doris K. , Feng, Lei , Dima, Danai , Banerjee, Rahul , Anwer, Faiz , Lee, Lisa K. , Puglianini, Omar Castañeda , Herr, Megan M. , Raza, Shahzad , Hassan, Hamza , Baz, Rachid , Janakiram, Murali , Fortuna, Gliceida Galarza , Julian, Kelley , Atrash, Shebli , Zolotov, Eli , Anderson, Larry D. , Portuguese, Andrew J. , Lee, Hans C. , Costa, Luciano, Lin, Yi

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 137-137

10.1182/blood-2025-137 Get It

Abstract Introduction: The GPRC5D-directed bispecific antibody (BsAb) Talquetamab (Talq) has shown promising results for patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) in the MonumenTAL-1 clinical trial (Chari et al. NEJM 2022). However, there are limited data on the use of Talq in the real-world setting. Methods: All pts with RRMM who started Talq between 8/2023-3/2025 across 15 US academic centers were included. High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCA) were defined as del(17p), t(4;14), t(14;16) and/or gain/amplification 1q21. Time-to-event analyses were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Toxicities including CRS and ICANS were graded using CTCAE v5.0 or ASTCT criteria. Results: A total of 484 pts were included, with a median age of 65 years (range 35-89), and 83 pts (17%) were aged ≥75 years. 20% of pts were black. 21% had baseline CrCl&lt;40, 65% had HRCA and 29% had &gt;1 HRCA (i.e Ultra high-risk MM). The median number of prior lines of therapy was 6 (IQR 4, 8). 50% were penta-refractory, 69% received at least one prior BCMA-directed therapy (46% CART; 32% BsAb). Prior to initiation of Talq, 11 pts (2%) had CNS MM, 29 (6%) had PCL and 126 (26%) had true extramedullary disease (EMD). 70% would have been ineligible for the MonumenTAL-1 trial. For most pts (n=405; 84%) the dosing strategy from Cycle 2 was 0.8 mg/kg every 2 weeks. and the 0.4 mg/Kg weekly dosing was used in 28 patients (6%). In 6% of pts, an additional drug was added to Talq, mostly pomalidomide (n=20) or daratumumab (n=10). 101 pts (21%) received Talq as bridging for CART. Median duration of Talq treatment was 102 days. 62% developed CRS (Grade ≥3, 2%; including one Grade 5 event). 15% developed ICANS (Grades 3-4, 4%). Steroids were used in 213 patients (44%), tocilizumab in 145 (30%) and anakinra in 9 (2%). 22 patients (5%) required ICU stay during the first cycle, for a median of 6 days (range 1-31). A total of 200 pts (41%) had infections (median 1 infection each, range 1-6), including 99 (20%) with bacterial infections, 113 (23%) viral infections and 21 (4%) fungal infections. IVIG was used in 261 pts (54%). 79% of patients (n=384) developed Talq-related oral toxicity, 55% (n=269) skin toxicity and 199 (41%) nail toxicity. 157 patients died after a median follow up of 11.5 months (mos), and the leading causes of death were MM progression (n=120) and infection (n=10). 8 pts (1.7%) developed invasive second primary malignancies. The ORR was 73%, including 46% ≥VGPR. The median PFS (mPFS) for the entire cohort was 7.8 mos (95% CI 6.9-9.4) and the 12 months PFS rate was 39%. The median OS had not been reached and the 12 months OS rate was 63%. For pts who would have been eligible for MonumenTAL-1, the mPFS was 12.2 mos (95% CI 9.7 – not reached (NR); for trial-ineligible pts, the mPFS was 6.9 mos (5.8 – 8.0; p=0.003). For BCMA-naive pts, the mPFS was 15.7 mos (11.8-NR); for BCMA-exposed pts, the mPFS was 6.8 mos (6.0-7.8; p=0.0002). For patients who received Talq as bridging prior to CART, the median PFS was NR (14.1 – NR); for those who did not receive Talq as bridging the mPFS was 6.5 mos (5.3-7.6; p&lt;0.0001). In multivariable analyses, worse OS and PFS were associated with trial ineligibility [(HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.03-1.86; p=0.03) and (2.33, 1.31-4.14; p=0.004)], BMI&lt;30 [(1.42,1.06-1.89; p=0.02) and (1.50, 1.01-2.22; p=0.045)] and true EMD at baseline [(1.95, 1.49-2.56; p&lt;0.001) and (1.65, 1.16-2.36; p=0.005). On the other hand, use of Talq as bridging to CART was associated with better PFS (0.27, 0.17-0.43; p&lt;0.001) and OS (0.13, 0.05-2.56; p&lt;0.001). Ultra high-risk MM (1.40, 1.06-1.84; p=0.02) and baseline albumin &lt;3 (1.68, 1.18-2.37; p=0.004) were associated with worse PFS; ECOG ≥2 (1.68, 1.18-2.40; p=0.004), and baseline Plt&lt;50K (2.14, 1.48-3.10; p&lt;0.0001) was associated with worse OS. Conclusions: In this large real-world analysis of 484 Talq recipients, the ORR was comparable to MonumenTAL-1 but the median PFS was shorter. This likely reflects differences in patient selection, with 70% of patients in our cohort being trial-ineligible. Patients who received Talq as pre-CAR-T bridging had superior survival outcomes. Rates of toxicities were similar to MonumenTAL-1, including &gt;70% of patients developing dysgeusia.
Identifying high-risk profiles and adverse prognoses in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with bispecific antibodies: A real-world analysis of 943 treatment initiations
Zanwar, Saurabh , Hansen, Doris, Goel, Utkarsh , Afrough, Aimaz , Rana, Masooma , Davis, James A. , Sborov, Douglas W. , Bal, Susan, Shune, Leyla , Ferreri, Christopher J. , Biran, Noa , Hassan, Hamza , Khouri, Jack , Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva , Cassano, Raffaella Cassano , Liang, Emily C. , Ali, Hossam M. , Varga, Cindy , Richards, Tiffany, Hosoya, Hitomi , Gaballa, Mahmoud , Green, Kimberly , Sannareddy, Aishwarya , Anderson, Larry J., Alsina, Melissa , Mikkilineni, Lekha , Krishnan, Amrita , Voorhees, Peter M. , Kumar, Shaji , Sidana, Surbhi , Patel, Krina K. , Dhakal, Binod , Lin, Yi, Costa, Luciano da Fontoura , Sidana, Surbhi , Davis, James A , Hosoya, Hitomi , Ali, Hossam M , Pasvolsky, Oren , Hansen, Doris K. , Portuguese, Andrew J. , Bal, Susan , Janakiram, Murali , Biran, Noa , Herr, Megan M. , Hassan, Hamza, Grajales‐Cruz, Ariel , Kort, Jeries , Atrash, Shebli , Puglianini, Omar Castañeda , Baz, Rachid , Zolotov, Eli , Dillard, Christen , Fortuna, Gliceida Galarza , Lee, Lisa K. , Julian, Kelley , Green, Kimberly, Anderson, Larry, Raza, Shahzad , Dima, Danai , Anwer, Faiz , Banerjee, Rahul , Locke, Frederick L. , Dhakal, Binod

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4069-4069

10.1182/blood-2025-4069 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Bispecific T-cell engagers (TCE) targeting BCMA (teclistamab, elranatamab) and GPRC5D (talquetamab) are important therapeutic options in relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM). However, data on the independent prognostic impact of individual cytogenetic abnormalities and functional high-risk MM on outcomes with TCEs remains limited. Methods We included RRMM patients treated with BCMA TCEs (teclistamab, elranatamab) and talquetamab across 15 centers in the US. Patients where TCEs were used only as bridging therapy to CAR-T were excluded. High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCA) included del(17p), t(4;14), t(14;16), 1q gain/amplification (1q21+), del(1p) before initiation of TCE. Functional high-risk disease (FHRMM) was defined as PFS &lt;18 months with frontline therapy. Extramedullary disease (EMD) included visceral or soft tissue disease and excluded paraskeletal disease. Progression-free survival (PFS) was estimated from TCE initiation using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of PFS in the entire cohort and the subcohorts of BCMA TCEs and talquetamab (Talq). Results We analyzed 943 treatment initiations with TCEs in RRMM, comprising 577 BCMA-directed TCEs [teclistamab (n=436) and elranatamab (n=141)] and 366 talquetamab initiations. The median follow-up from TCE initiation was 13.4 months (95% CI: 12.5–14.2) and median age was 68 years (interquartile range 61-75 years). Two ore more HRCAs were noted in 30% of the cohort (34% in Talq vs. 28% in BCMA TCEs, p=0.04), EMD was present in 21% of patients (26% in Talq vs. 18% in BCMA TCEs, p=0.002), and 45.5% of patients had FHRMM (47% in Talq vs. 45% in BCMA TCE, p=0.54). The median prior lines of therapy was 6 (interquartile range: 5-8), with 92% being triple-class refractory (TCR); 60% received prior BCMA-directed therapy (85% in Talq vs. 45% in BCMA TCE, p&lt;0.0001) and 45% had prior CAR-T in 45% (57% in Talq vs. 37% in BCMA TCE, p&lt;0.001). The best overall response rate (ORR) was 67.1 % for the entire cohort (66.4% for BCMA cohort and 68.2% for Talq), with 32.5% patients achieving a ≥ complete response. The median PFS was 7.7 months (95% CI: 6.7–8.6) for the entire cohort, with a median PFS of 10.1 months (95% CI: 7.5-13.4) for teclistamab and 10.1 months (95% CI: 3.9-NR) for elranatamab. In the more heavily pretreated talq cohort, the median PFS was 6.4 months (95% CI: 5.1-7.5). In a univariate analysis (UVA), several HRCAs were associated with inferior PFS−del(17p) (HR 1.59), t(4;14) (HR 1.43), del(1p) (HR 1.54), and ≥2 HRCAs (HR 1.64), all p&lt;0.01. Apart from HRCAs, adverse disease characteristics included FHRMM (HR 1.20) and EMD (HR 1.46); all p&lt;0.05. Among laboratory markers, hemoglobin &lt;9 g/dL (HR 2.10), platelet count &lt;75 ×10⁹/L (HR 1.96), and elevated ferritin (≥600 ng/mL; HR 2.17) (all p&lt;0.01) were prognostic for PFS. ECOG ≥2 (HR 1.62), prior BCMA-directed therapy (HR 1.56), and prior CAR-T (HR 1.44) (all p&lt;0.001) were also associated with inferior PFS. In a multivariable analysis (MVA), prior BCMA therapy (HR 1.72, p&lt;0.0001), ferritin &gt;600 ng/mL (HR 1.68, p&lt;0.0001), hemoglobin &lt;9 g/dL (HR 1.53, p=0.001), ECOG PS ≥2 (HR 1.52, p=0.0009), del(17p) (HR 1.44, p=0.0034) and FHRMM (HR 1.26, p=0.047), were associated with inferior PFS. Within the talq cohort (n=366), EMD (HR 1.64), del(17p) (HR 1.42), del(1p) (HR 1.54), FHRMM (HR 1.34), ECOG ≥2 (HR 1.56), ferritin &gt;600 (HR 1.88), hemoglobin &lt;9 g/dL (HR 1.6), platelet count &lt;75 ×10⁹/L (HR 1.36) and leukopenia &lt;0.25 x 10⁹/L (HR 1.52) were adverse prognostic markers on UVA. A MVA confirmed the independent impact of ferritin &gt;600 ng/mL (HR: 1.77), ECOG ≥2 (HR 1.61) and functional high-risk status (HR 1.52) on PFS, whereas del(17p) and EMD were trending toward significance. Within the BCMA TCE cohort (n=577), prior BCMA therapy (HR 1.9), ferritin &gt;600 (HR 1.79), ECOG ≥2 (HR 1.55), Hb &lt;9 g/dL (HR 1.54), and del(17p) (HR 1.52) were independently associated with inferior PFS on a MVA.Conclusions: In this large real-world cohort of TCE, outcomes varied by fitness, disease biology, and treatment history. The ECOG PS, elevated ferritin, functional high-risk status and del(17p) were consistently associated with inferior PFS. Prior BCMA exposure was an independent risk factor for inferior PFS in the BCMA TCE cohort, but not with talquetamab.
Short survival with BCMA and GPRC5D dual antigen exposed relapsed myeloma- an international myeloma working group immunotherapy database analysis
Martin, Thomas , Dave, Mrugakshi, Asoori, Sireesha, Htut, Myo, Corraes, Andre De Menezes Silva , Kapoor, Prashant , Pan, Chris Lau Wai, Tan, Carlyn , Mian, Hira , Bal, Susan , Cowan, Andrew J. , Nagarajan, Chandramouli, Krishnan, Amrita , Popat, Rakesh , Mian, Hira , Janakiram, Murali , Huang, Chiung‐Yu , Htut, Myo , Pan, Chris Lau Wai, Usmani, Saad Z. , Hájek, Roman , Kastritis, Efstathios , Martínez‐López, Joaquín , Nagarajan, Chandramouli , Chng, Wee Joo , Tso, Allison , Einsele, Hermann , Popat, Rakesh , Lin, Yi , Pan, Darren

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4598-4598

10.1182/blood-2025-4598 Get It

Abstract Background: BCMA- and GPRC5D-targeting immunotherapies including CART cell therapy and Bispecific antibodies are currently approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. However, clinical outcomes after dual antigenic exposure remain undefined. Herein we report the first report of BCMA-GPRC5D dual targeted multiple myeloma (DEMM). Methods: We conducted a retrospective multi-center study of RRMM patients treated with both BCMA- and GPRC5D-targeted treatments (TT) (CAR T, bispecific antibodies, ADCs) between November 1, 2022, and July 1, 2025. Outcomes included PFS1 (post-dual exposure), and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier estimates and event-free probabilities were calculated. Results: One hundred and fifty patients who underwent TCE treatments were included and 49 patients met the criteria for inclusion. Median age was 65 years, 22.4% had creatinine clearance &lt;=30 and ECOG 2 or greater was present in 22.2%; 57% had high-risk cytogenetics (IMWG 2016), and 60.5% were penta-refractory. Patients received a median of 6 prior lines of therapy (LOT) before 1st TCE and 9 prior LOT before DEMM. 65.3% received 1 TCE, 30.6% received 2 TCE and 4.1% received 3 TCE before DEMM. Similarly, 67.3% received 1 BCMA, 24.5% received 2 BCMA TT and 4.1% received 3 BCMA TT before DEMM. Prior TT included- BCMA CART (57.1%), BCMA Bispecific (57.1%), BCMA ADC (18.4%), other TCE (10.2%). The last dual exposure was GPRC5D Bispecific in 91.8%, BCMA Bispecific in 6.1% and BCMA CART in 2%. The median followup post relapse was 3.4 months (range 0.0-16 mos). The median PFS during the last dual exposure TT was 3.98 months (95% CI: 2.96–6.70). 32.7% did not receive any subsequent LOT and died due to progressive disease. 67.3% of patients had progressive MM and received next LOT. Median PFS1 was 1.77 months (95% CI: 1.28–6.21) with 3-, 6-, and 12-month event-free probabilities of 44%%, 19% and 0% respectively. Median OS was 5.7 months (95% CI: 2.53-12.16) for DEMM from the time of refractoriness to dual antigenic targets. Conclusions: Patients dual-exposed to BCMA- and GPRC5D-directed therapies have a poor prognosis, 32.7% had not received further treatment and in those who received treatment the PFS1 was less than 2 months and an OS of 5.7 months from progression. This reflects an area of high unmet need for the patients that are dual-exposed to BCMA- and GPRC5D-directed therapies. Further data on the cohort will be updated at the meeting. Acknowledgements include, the International Myeloma Foundation, IMWG.
Universal driving restrictions beyond 4 weeks appear unnecessary following CAR-T therapy in multiple myeloma
Banerjee, Rahul , Richards, Alicia, Midha, Shonali , Afrough, Aimaz , Anwer, Faiz , Atanackovic, Djordje , Bachanová, Veronika , Bhurtel, Jenny , Cicero, Kara I. , Davis, James A. , Dhakal, Binod , Ferreri, Christopher J. , Forsberg, Peter A. , Freeman, Ciara L. , Khouri, Jack , Kumar, Anupama, Liu, Yuxin , Mikkilineni, Lekha , Peres, Lauren C. , Purvey, Sneha , Raza, Shahzad , Sborov, Douglas W. , Shune, Leyla , Wagner, Charlotte B , Zanwar, Saurabh , Sidana, Surbhi , Patel, Krina K. , Kumar, Shaji , Lin, Yi , Martin, Thomas G. , Voorhees, Peter M. , Anderson, Larry D. , Cowan, Andrew J., Chhabra, Saurabh , Davis, James A , Dhakal, Binod , Freeman, Ciara L , Herr, Megan M. , Jain, Tania , Khouri, Jack , Kocoglu, Mehmet H , McGuirk, Joseph , Parrondo, Ricardo D , Pasvolsky, Oren , Sborov, Douglas W , Wagner, Charlotte , Zanwar, Saurabh S , Sidana, Surbhi , Patel, Krina , Kumar, Shaji K , Voorhees, Peter , Anderson, Larry D , Kaur, Gurbakhash , Bachanova, Veronika , Banerjee, Rahul , Raza, Shahzad , Anwer, Faiz , Atrash, Shebli , Beitinjaneh, Amer , Puglianini, Omar Castañeda , Chhabra, Saurabh , Dima, Danai , Jain, Tania , Janakiram, Murali , Kocoglu, Mehmet H. , Locke, Frederick L. , McGuirk, Joseph P. , Nadeem, Omar , Pasvolsky, Oren , Reshef, Ran , Richard, Shambavi , Rossi, Adriana , Hansen, Doris K. , Kaur, Gurbakhash

Blood Advances | March 15, 2025 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 2336-2340

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025016131 Get It

Comparison of Standard-of-Care Idecabtagene Vicleucel and Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Hansen, Doris K. , Peres, Lauren C. , Dima, Danai , Richards, Alicia, Shune, Leyla , Afrough, Aimaz , Midha, Shonali , Dhakal, Binod , Kocoglu, Mehmet H. , Atrash, Shebli , Ferreri, Christopher, Davis, James A. , Bhurtel, Jenny , Wagner, Charlotte B , Bansal, Radhika , Smith, Kinaya, Avila, Gabriel De, Purvey, Sneha , Hosoya, Hitomi , Mikkilineni, Lekha , Oswald, Laura B. , Gaballa, Mahmoud , Forsberg, Peter A. , Janakiram, Murali , Htut, Myo , Maringanti, Sireesha Asoori, Kalariya, Nilesh, Hashmi, Hamza , Sborov, Douglas W. , Khouri, Jack , Raza, Shahzad , Atanackovic, Djordje , Alsina, Melissa , Freeman, Ciara Louise , Voorhees, Peter M. , Anderson, Larry D. , Martin, Thomas, Patel, Krina K. , Sidana, Surbhi , Castaneda Puglianini, Omar , Davis, James A , Bhurtel, Evguenia , McGuirk, Joseph , Wagner, Charlotte , Bansal, Radhika , Lieberman-Cribbin, Alex , De Avila, Gabriel , Purvey, Sneha , Hosoya, Hitomi , Kaur, Gurbakhash , Herr, Megan M. , Janakiram, Murali , Reshef, Ran , Sborov, Douglas W , Anwer, Faiz , Khouri, Jack , Alsina, Melissa , Locke, Frederick L , Voorhees, Peter , Anderson, Larry D , Lin, Yi , Patel, Krina , Sidana, Surbhi , Dima, Danai , Kocoglu, Mehmet H , Raza, Shahzad , Atrash, Shebli , Hansen, Doris K , Dhakal, Binod , Puglianini, Omar Castañeda , McGuirk, Joseph P. , Costello, Patrick , Kaur, Gurbakhash , Pasvolsky, Oren , Reshef, Ran , Nadeem, Omar , Anwer, Faiz , Locke, Frederick L. , Richard, Shambavi , Lin, Yi

Journal of Clinical Oncology | February 18, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 13 | Pages: 1597-1609

10.1200/jco-24-01730 Get It

PURPOSE Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), two B-cell maturation antigen–directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We compare safety, efficacy, and survival among patients with RRMM treated with standard-of-care (SOC) ide-cel or cilta-cel. METHODS Data were from a retrospective chart review of patients with RRMM leukapheresed by December 31, 2022, with the intent to receive SOC ide-cel or cilta-cel at 19 institutions. An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approach was used to compare outcomes by therapy type. RESULTS A total of 641 patients were leukapheresed by December 31, 2022, with ide-cel (n = 386) and cilta-cel (n = 255). Five hundred eighty-six patients were infused (n = 350 for ide-cel; n = 236 for cilta-cel) with a median follow-up of 12.6 and 13.0 months for ide-cel and cilta-cel, respectively. After IPTW, patient characteristics were well balanced. Cilta-cel was associated with higher likelihood of grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS; odds ratio [OR], 6.80 [95% CI, 2.28 to 20.33]), infections (OR, 2.03 [95% CI, 1.41 to 2.92]), second primary malignancies (OR, 1.77 [95% CI, 0.89 to 3.56]), and delayed neurotoxicity (OR, 20.07 [95% CI, 4.46 to 90.20]). Cilta-cel was also associated with better treatment responses (≥complete response: OR, 2.42 [95% CI, 1.63 to 3.60]), longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.48 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.63]), and longer overall survival (HR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.46 to 0.97]). No associations were observed between therapy type and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome, any CRS, severe cytopenia at days 30 and 90, or nonrelapse mortality. We observed consistent findings when repeating the analyses restricting the ide-cel cohort to patients infused during the same time period as Food and Drug Administration approval for cilta-cel (≥March 2022). CONCLUSION Cilta-cel demonstrated superior efficacy and survival, with higher incidence of certain toxicities, compared with ide-cel.
Cumulative Excess Body Mass Index and MGUS Progression to Myeloma
Liu, Lawrence , Grandhi, Nikhil , Thomas, Theodore, Schoen, Martin W. , Carson, Kenneth R. , Vachon, Celine M. , Janakiram, Murali , Ji, Mengmeng , Vachon, Celine, Liu, Lawrence , Janakiram, Murali , Wang, Mei , Proskuriakova, Ekaterina , Sanfilippo, Kristen , Visram, Alissa , Vachon, Celine M. , Colditz, Graham A. , Chang, Su‐Hsin

JAMA Network Open | February 7, 2025 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 2 | Pages: e2458585

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.58585 Get It

Importance Obesity is a risk factor associated with multiple myeloma (MM) and its precursor, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS). However, it is unclear how cumulative exposure to obesity affects the risk of MGUS progression to MM. Objective To determine the association of cumulative exposure to excess body mass index (EBMI), defined as BMI (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) greater than 25, with risk of MGUS progression to MM. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included patients with MGUS, including immunoglobin G, immunoglobin A, or light chain MGUS, from the nationwide US Veterans Health Administration database from October 1, 1999, to December 31, 2021. A published natural language processing–assisted model was used to confirm diagnoses of MGUS and progression to MM. Data were analyzed from February 12 to November 4, 2024. Exposures Cumulative EBMI was calculated by area under the curve of measured BMI subtracting the reference BMI at 25 during the first 3 years after MGUS diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was progression from MGUS to MM. Multivariable Fine-Gray time-to-competing-event analyses, with death as the competing event, were used to determine associations. Results The cohort included 22 429 patients with MGUS (median [IQR] age, 70.5 [63.5-77.9] years; 21 613 [96.4%] male), with 8329 Black patients (37.1%) and 14 100 White patients (62.9%). There were 4862 patients (21.7%) with reference range BMI (18.5 to &amp;lt;25), 7619 patients (34.0%) with BMI 25 to less than 30, and 8513 patients (38.0%) with BMI 30 or greater at the time of MGUS diagnosis. Compared with reference range BMI at MGUS diagnosis, patients with BMI 25 to less than 30 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.34) or 30 or greater (aHR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.09-1.47) at MGUS diagnosis had higher risk of progression to MM. In patients with reference range BMI at MGUS diagnosis, each 1-unit increase of EBMI per year was associated with a 21% increase in progression risk (aHR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.40). However, for patients with BMI 25 or greater at MGUS diagnosis, the incremental risk associated with cumulative EBMI exposure was not statistically significant. Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study found that, for patients with BMI 18.5 to less than 25 at the time of MGUS diagnosis, cumulative exposure to BMI 25 or greater was associated with an increased risk of progression. These findings suggest that for these patients, maintaining a healthy and stable weight following MGUS diagnosis may prevent progression to MM.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Outcomes of Multiple Myeloma Patients Treated with Idecabtagene Vicleucel or Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel
Peres, Lauren C. , Richards, Alicia, Sidana, Surbhi , Oswald, Laura B. , Afrough, Aimaz , Shune, Leyla , Midha, Shonali , Castaneda, Omar, Ferreri, Christopher J. , Blue, Brandon , Ouchveridze, Evguenia, Bansal, Radhika , Smith, Kinaya, Avila, Gabriel De, Purvey, Sneha , Hosoya, Hitomi , Mikkilineni, Lekha , Gaballa, Mahmoud , Forsberg, Peter A. , Freeman, Ciara L. , Htut, Myo , Asoori, Sireesha, Kalariya, Nilesh, Atanackovic, Djordje , Dhakal, Binod , Khouri, Jack , Alsina, Melissa , Anderson, Larry D. , Martin, Thomas , Voorhees, Peter M. , Patel, Krina K. , Hansen, Doris K., Sborov, Douglas W. , Davis, James A. , Sidana, Surbhi , Anderson, Larry D , Davis, James A , Hosoya, Hitomi , Dima, Danai , Puglianini, Omar Castañeda , Davis, James A, Pasvolsky, Oren , Dillard, Christen , Herr, Megan M. , Kocoglu, Mehmet H. , Atrash, Shebli , Ouchveridze, Evguenia, McGuirk, Joseph P. , Wagner, Charlotte B , Costello, Patrick , Lieberman-Cribbin, Alex , Kaur, Gurbakhash , Janakiram, Murali , Dhakal, Binod , Raza, Shahzad , Reshef, Ran , Locke, Frederick L. , Nadeem, Omar , Anwer, Faiz , Richard, Shambavi , Lin, Yi , Hansen, Doris K.

Blood | December 6, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3785-3785

10.1182/blood-2024-210078 Get It

*Authors contributed equally. Introduction. Two chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have been FDA approved for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM): idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel). Prior work from our consortium identified racial and ethnic differences in safety and response to ide-cel among patients treated in the standard of care (SOC) setting; despite these differences, survival was similar across race and ethnicity. Here, we extend this work to investigate racial and ethnic differences in safety, efficacy, and outcomes in a larger cohort of patients treated with SOC ide-cel with longer follow-up and patients treated with SOC cilta-cel. Methods. Data for RRMM patients who underwent leukapheresis by 12/31/2022 and were treated with SOC ide-cel or cilta-cel were pooled across 19 institutions in the U.S. Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy Consortium. We compared Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic (any race) patients, excluding other racial and ethnic groups due to small sample sizes that precluded sub-group investigations. Separately for each CAR T-cell therapy, racial and ethnic differences in baseline patient characteristics, safety, and treatment responses were examined using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were used to examine progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by race and ethnicity. Results. Among 332 RRMM patients treated with ide-cel, Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients comprised 17% and 10% of the cohort, respectively. Hispanic patients were younger at infusion compared to Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White patients (55.5 vs. 63 vs. 66 years, p&lt;0.001). Non-Hispanic Black patients had a higher disease burden (≥ 50% bone marrow plasma cell percentage) compared to Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic patients (35% vs. 20% vs. 19%, p=0.05), while a higher proportion of Non-Hispanic White patients had high-risk cytogenetics compared to Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients (37% vs. 23% vs. 10%, p=0.003). Non-Hispanic Black patients were more likely to develop severe (≥ grade 3) cytopenia at day 30 (p&lt;0.001) and day 90 (p=0.01) post-infusion, and these differences were particularly driven by higher rates of severe neutropenia among Non-Hispanic Black patients at these time points. Non-Hispanic White patients were more likely to achieve a best response of partial response (PR) or better (82%) compared to Non-Hispanic Black (75%) and Hispanic patients (63%, p=0.02). No other racial and ethnic differences in baseline patient characteristics (including cytopenias), safety, PFS, and OS were observed (p&gt;0.05). Among 222 RRMM patients treated with cilta-cel, Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients comprised 12% and 9% of the cohort, respectively. At baseline, Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to have anemia (p=0.01), and Non-Hispanic Black patients were more likely to have thrombocytopenia (p=0.02) and neutropenia (p=0.06) compared to Non-Hispanic White patients. No other differences in baseline patient characteristics were observed by race and ethnicity. While not statistically significant, a higher rate of severe (≥ grade 3) cytopenia at day 90 post-infusion was observed among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients compared to Non-Hispanic White patients (33% vs. 44% vs. 21%, p=0.07), similar to the ide-cel cohort. This finding was primarily driven by higher rates of severe neutropenia among Non-Hispanic Black patients and higher rates of anemia among Hispanic patients. No other racial and ethnic differences in safety, responses to cilta-cel, PFS, or OS were not observed in the cilta-cel cohort (p&gt;0.05). Conclusion. In a large cohort of RRMM patients treated with SOC ide-cel or cilta-cel, we observed a higher rate of cytopenias post-infusion and inferior ide-cel responses among racial and ethnic minority patients compared to Non-Hispanic White patients. Despite these differences, survival was similar across race and ethnicity, suggesting that both available CAR T-cell therapies for RRMM patients can be utilized across all populations. Future studies that include larger patient cohorts of racially and ethnically diverse patients should be conducted to confirm these findings and additionally evaluate long-term outcomes.