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134 citation(s) found for "Usmani, A".

Genomic mechanisms of resistance to venetoclax in multiple myeloma with t(11;14)( CCND1 ; IGH )
Wiedmeier-Nutor, Julia Erin, Jelinek, Tomas, Shivaram, Suganti, Tang, Hongwei , Owens, Rebecca W, Tereza, Ševčíková, Fonseca, Rodrigo , Zhao, Logan, Zhu, Yuan Xiao, Matulis, Shannon M. , Mitsiades, C., Hajek, R, Chesi, M., Bergsagel, P. Leif, Esteban, Braggio, Kumar, Shaji , Wiedmeier, Julia E. , Wiedmeier-Nutor, J Erin, Fonseca, Rodrigo , Durante, Michael , Diamond, Benjamin T , Zhu, Yuan X , Landgren, C Ola , Chesi, Marta , Bergsagel, P. Leif , Braggio, Esteban , Boise, Lawrence H , Fonseca, Rafael , Kumar, Shaji K , Maura, Francesco , Wiedmeier-Nutor, Julia E , Kaddoura, Marcella , Gupta, Vikas A. , Ziccheddu, Bachisio , Shivaram, Suganti, Sevcikova, Tereza, Durante, Michael , Diamond, Benjamin , Shi, Chang-Xin , Mitsiades, Constantine S. , Landgren, Ola , Usmani, Saad Z. , Hájek, Roman , Chesi, Marta , Bergsagel, P. Leif , Braggio, Esteban , Boise, Lawrence , Fonseca, Rafaël , Maura, Francesco , Baughn, Linda B.

Blood | January 2, 2026 | Volume: 147 | Issue: 14 | Pages: 1598-1610

10.1182/blood.2025029996 | PMID 41481388 Get It

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) with t(11;14)(CCND1;IGH) remains the only subset sensitive to the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax. However, not all patients with t(11;14)(CCND1;IGH) respond to treatment, and some progress early after initial response. To investigate this, we examined 44 whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data samples from 34 patients with t(11;14) MM treated with venetoclax. The presence of mutations in the RAS pathway was strongly associated with shortened progression-free survival (PFS) and was validated in an independent cohort of 21 patients with MM. The presence of 1q gain was also associated with shorter PFS in patients without RAS mutations. In 10 patients with paired prevenetoclax and postvenetoclax treatment samples, postvenetoclax progression was recurrently driven by the selection of genomic events in the BCL2/MCL1 and RAS pathways and of high-risk features (eg, loss of TP53 and CDKN2C). Overall, our study shows that comprehensive genomic profiling can identify most mechanisms underlying resistance to BCL2 inhibition in t(11;14)(CCND1;IGH) MM.
Extramedullary Disease—Achilles Heel in Myeloma?
Kumar, Shaji, Richter, Joshua , Cohen, Yaël C. , Ye, J. Christine , Mateos, María‐Victoria, Hungria, Vania, Zamagni, Elena, Hungria, Vânia , Zamagni, Elena , Kumar, Shaji K , Cohen, Yael C , Hungria, Vania , Richter, Joshua , Zamagni, Elena , Kumar, Shaji , Usmani, Saad Z. , Mateos, María‐Victoria

American Journal of Hematology | December 30, 2025 | Volume: 101 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 521-536

10.1002/ajh.70138 | PMID 41462032 Get It

ABSTRACT Despite advances in therapy, extramedullary disease (EMD) remains an aggressive form of multiple myeloma associated with poor outcomes. Patients with true EMD, in which plasmacytomas have become completely independent of bone, have a particularly poor prognosis. The pathogenesis of EMD is driven by complex mechanisms involving loss of adhesion molecules, heterogeneous genetic and epigenetic changes, and a solid tumor‐like architecture within the microenvironment. Although the introduction of advanced imaging techniques and immunotherapy has led to improved detection and more promising outcomes and regimens, respectively, more prospective studies dedicated to true EMD are needed.
Plasma cell identity escape drives resistance to anti-BCMA T-cell–redirecting therapy in multiple myeloma
Freeman, Ciara L. , Garcés, Juan-José, Lee, Holly , Papadimitriou, Marios , Silva, Ariosto Siqueira , Füller, Etta Rozen , Agius, Phaedra , Hansen, Doris K., Zhao, Xiaohong , Meads, Mark B. , Teer, Jamie K. , Hagner, Patrick R. , Alsina, Melissa , Ramasubramanian, Anusuya , Smith, Eric L. , Mailankody, Sham , Chesi, Marta, Hamadeh, Issam S. , Shain, Kenneth H. , Ilundain, Marta Larrayoz , Durante, Michael , Sharik, Meaghen E. , Du, Megan T. , Hagner, Patrick, Bergsagel, P. Leif , Landgren, C Ola , Maura, Francesco , Maclachlan, Kylee , Larráyoz, Marta , Ziccheddu, Bachisio , Meermeier, Erin W. , Garcés, Juan‐José , Durante, Michael , Firestone, Ross , Menges, Meghan A. , Reid, Kayla M. , Diamond, Benjamin , Sudalagunta, Praneeth Reddy , Leblay, Noémie , Ahn, Sungwoo , Fuller, Ethan, Briercheck, Edward L. , Hansen, Doris K. , Song, Xiaofei , Jelı́nek, Tomáš , Baz, Rachid , Smith, Eric, Giralt, Sergio , Bergsagel, P. Leif , Neri, Paola , Chesi, Marta , Martinez‐Climent, José A. , Locke, Frederick L. , Bahlis, Nizar Jacques , Landgren, Ola , Usmani, Saad Z.

No container title available | December 15, 2025 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.64898/2025.12.08.692978 | PMID 41415462 Get It

ABSTRACT Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) and T-cell engager (TCE) therapies targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) are transforming the treatment landscape for relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). However, despite impressive initial response rates, most patients eventually relapse. To investigate this unmet medical need, we applied whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to MM cells from cohorts of 102 relapsed patients treated with anti-BCMA CART and TCE therapies. Several genomic alterations were associated with clinical outcomes, particularly primary refractoriness, including high genomic complexity and mutations in genes regulating plasma cell identity, which predicted resistance to therapy. Single-cell RNA sequencing further revealed that MM cells from refractory patients exhibited high proliferation signatures and reduced expression of TNFRSF17 (encoding BCMA), while were less enriched for plasma cell–associated transcriptional programs, a phenomenon we term “plasma cell identity escape.” This profile was strongly associated with immune dysregulation of CD8 T cells including increased activation and exhaustion. This evolution of MM toward a more proliferative and lineage-divergent state, refractory to the anti-BCMA T-cell redirecting therapies, was functionally validated in preclinical MM mouse models. Collectively, our results comprehensively define the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying primary resistance to anti-BCMA therapies.
Defining functional high-risk multiple myeloma in the era of modern induction therapy
Paul, Barry, Tan, Carlyn , Geyer, Susan, Pederson, Levi , Schumacher, Peyton, Kennedy, Caroline, Semmel, Emily A., James, Shandra, Cleaves, Travis, Zanwar, Saurabh , Zonder, Jeffrey A. , Rubinstein, Samuel M. , Hashmi, Hamza , Bhutani, Manisha , Kennedy, C., James, Shandra, Schroeder, Mark A. , Martin, Thomas G. , Nooka, Ajay K. , D’Souza, Anita , Richard, Shambavi , Sperling, Adam S. , Rosenberg, Aaron , Usmani, Saad Z.

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4014-4014

10.1182/blood-2025-4014 Get It

Abstract Background: Treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has advanced dramatically over the past decade with median overall survival (OS) for newly diagnosed MM patients (pts) now exceeding 10 years. However, outcomes in pts with high-risk disease remain poor. While most pts with high-risk disease are identified through baseline cytogenetic risk stratification, presence of extramedullary disease, or R-ISS stage, there is also a population of pts who may or may not have these traditional high-risk factors who relapse earlier than expected and have similarly poor outcomes. These pts are often delineated as “functional high-risk,” but a standardized definition of this population in the era of modern myeloma therapy is lacking. Methods: Using the ASH Research Collaborative (ASH RC) Data Hub, we retrospectively searched 7,249 pts across 10 participating institutions for those with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) treated with a triplet or quadruplet induction regimen (with or without autologous stem cell transplant) who had response data available. We evaluated duration of response from first line therapy (PD1) on post-PD1 clinical outcomes such as: time to next treatment (TTNT), time to subsequent progression and/or death (PFS2), and OS. We also analyzed characteristics of those who did vs. did not progress at prespecified time points of interest (12-, 18-, 24-, and 36-months) from the start of induction. We utilized recursive partitioning analyses to iteratively explore all possible cutpoints and identify which one(s) provide the greatest differentiation in the risk of subsequent progression and/or death. Results: We identified 1,305 pts who met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 264 had PD1 data including 201 who had response follow-up (f/u) after PD1. Median f/u after PD1 in this population was 3.2 years, and median PFS2 f/u after PD1 (n=201) was 4.4 years. Months to PD1 was significantly associated with PFS2 (p=0.038). All prespecified time points examined showed inferior PFS2 compared to those with PD1 >36 mos, although each subgroup was not statistically significant, likely due to limited numbers in each group: PD1 <12 mos HR=1.44 (n=43; 95% CI: 0.90 – 2.30; p=0.126), PD1 12-24 mos HR=1.65 (n=30; 95% CI: 0.95 – 2.85; p=0.073), and PD1 24-36 mos HR=1.58 (n=52; 95% CI: 0.98 – 2.53; p=0.059). Similarly, timing of PD1 was also associated with OS post-PD1; pts with PD1 <12 mos had significantly lower OS compared to those with PD1 >36 mos (HR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.27 – 4.32; p=0.006). Our recursive partitioning analysis identified 30-months at the cutoff that produced the greatest differential in outcomes between those above vs. below the landmark. Approximately 23% of the pts analyzed had PD1 within 30 mos, and these pts had significantly lower OS compared to those with PD1 ≥30 mos (HR=1.99, 95% CI: 1.21 – 3.27; p=0.006). Similarly, pts who progressed within 30 mos of starting 1L therapy (n=98) had significantly shorter PFS2 (median=12.5 mos vs 22.8 mos; HR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.09 – 2.20; p=0.014) than those who did not (n=103). Those pts who progressed within 30 mos were more likely to have a higher R-ISS stage at diagnosis (p=0.048), but were not more likely to have high-risk cytogenetics (p=0.66) compared to pts with PD1 ≥30 mos. Interestingly, receiving SCT as part of 1L therapy was not significantly associated with improved PFS2 (HR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.62 – 1.29; 0.54) but was significantly associated with improved OS (HR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.31 – 0.90; 0.018) by univariate analysis. Conclusion: Our study is the first to use a large, multicenter, cohort to evaluate the definition of functional high-risk MM in the era of novel induction therapies. Our data suggest that pts who progress within 30 mos of induction on triplet or quadruplet regimens (irrespective of whether they underwent stem cell transplant) have poorer outcomes than those who progress at 30 mos or later, and that progression prior to 30 mos represents functional high-risk disease. These pts represent a clear unmet medical need, and additional focus should be taken to identify them early with the goal of designing trials to optimize their subsequent therapies.
Real-world comparison of progression-free and overall survival between idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) and teclistamab in triple-class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
Patel, Krina, Chen, Jenny, Dhanda, Devender, Towle, Kevin, Costa, Luciano, Ailawadhi, Sikander, Usmani, Saad, Rajeeve, Sridevi, Lin, Yi, Liu, Sichen, Cope, Shannon, Sidana, Surbhi, Sidana, Surbhi , Sidana, Surbhi , Patel, Krina, Chen, Jenny, Dhanda, Devender, Towle, Kevin, Costa, Luciano, Ailawadhi, Sikander, Usmani, Saad, Rajeeve, Sridevi, Lin, Yi, Liu, Sichen, Cope, Shannon

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4563-4563

10.1182/blood-2025-4563 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Patients with triple-class exposed (TCE) relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) have historically experienced poor clinical outcomes, prompting the development of novel therapeutic options. Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) was the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for this population, while teclistamab became the first approved bispecific antibody. Both target B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and are increasingly used in real-world (RW) settings. Most comparative evidence to date is derived from single-arm clinical trials with cross-trial adjustments. RW studies offer an opportunity to directly compare these therapies and assess their relative effectiveness in routine clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a comparative effectiveness analysis of ide-cel and teclistamab in patients with TCE RRMM using RW data from the United States Flatiron Health electronic health record-derived, deidentified database (January 2011 to April 2025 data cut). Adults who received either index therapy at any line of treatment after becoming TCE (ie, previously exposed to an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody) were included. Exclusion criteria were prior exposure to CAR T cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, or belantamab mafodotin; absence of index treatment; or lack of post-index follow-up. Index dates (T0) represent the date of infusion for ide-cel and the start of treatment for teclistamab. Seventeen prognostic covariates were selected a priori based on published rankings and used to balance treatment groups via inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) with average treatment effect weights. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate unadjusted and IPTW-adjusted HRs with 95% CIs for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). As the ide-cel cohort only included infused patients, additional analyses were performed to emulate a real-world intention-to-treat population given the potential immortal time bias (patients in the ide-cel cohort were required to survive between apheresis and infusion). Specifically, patients in the teclistamab cohort who died within the first 24 days (median turnaround time for ide-cel manufacturing in United States in 2024) were excluded and 2 scenarios were performed to re-align T0 based on this 24-day period (either shifting teclistamab T0 forward or ide-cel T0 backward). Lastly, sensitivity analyses assessed differences in restricted mean survival time (dRMST) at 12 and 24 months. Results: A total of 281 patients met the inclusion criteria (ide-cel, N=106; teclistamab, N=175), with median follow-up of 22.4 and 13.7 months, respectively. IPTW adjustment balanced all covariates between groups (effective sample size: ide-cel, n=68; teclistamab, n=135). Adjusted analyses showed improved PFS with ide-cel versus teclistamab (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.47–0.97), with median PFS of 11.3 versus 6.5 months. OS was also improved with ide-cel (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35–0.98); median OS was not reached in either group due to insufficient follow-up. There was a consistent trend of HRs favoring ide-cel versus teclistamab for both PFS and OS in both scenario analyses addressing the potential immortal time bias. Further, sensitivity analyses using dRMST confirmed statistically significant improvements in both PFS and OS with ide-cel across all scenarios at all time points evaluated. Conclusions: In this RW analysis, ide-cel was associated with superior PFS and OS compared with teclistamab in patients with TCE RRMM. These findings support emerging RW evidence favoring BCMA-directed CAR T cell therapies over bispecific antibodies and may inform treatment sequencing decisions in this high-risk population.
Real world efficacy and safety of elranatamab, a BCMA bispecific antibody for patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma: An international myeloma working group immunotherapy database analysis
Popat, Rakesh , Morjaria, Oliver, Tan, Carlyn , Bal, Susan , Nagarajan, Chandramouli, Htut, Myo, Dave, Mrugakshi, Cowan, Andrew J. , Mian, Hira , Mian, Hira , Popat, Rakesh , Usmani, Saad Z. , Visram, Alissa , Costa, Luciano J. , Hájek, Roman , Mihalyova, Jana , Martinez-Lopez, Joaquin , Sáez, Adolfo , Dimopoulos, Meletios Α. , Kastritis, Efstathios , Nagarajan, Chandramouli , Chung, Shimin Jasmine , Htut, Myo , Chng, Wee Joo , Tso, Allison , Martin, Thomas G. , Huang, Chiung‐Yu , Einsele, Hermann , Lin, Yi

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4588-4588

10.1182/blood-2025-4588 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Elranatamab (Elra) is a bispecific antibody (BsAb) targeting BCMA that is approved for patients with triple class exposed relapsed refractory myeloma (RRMM) on the basis of the MagnetisMM-3 phase 2 trial. For BCMA naïve patients, an overall response rate (ORR) of 61.0% and median progression free survival (PFS) of 17.2m was observed with a median overall survival (OS) of 24.6m. However, efficacy and safety information in the real world is lacking. Methods: This was an international retrospective study of patients with RRMM treated with Elra monotherapy outside of clinical trials. Data was collected through the International Myeloma Foundation Immunotherapy Database from 7 countries (UK, USA, Canada, Greece, Spain, Czech Republic and Singapore). High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCA) were defined as 1q+, t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), and/or del(17p). Response was assessed using IMWG consensus criteria. Patient characteristics were summarized by frequency (percentage) or median (range). PFS, OS were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and reported with 95% confidence intervals. Results: 79 patients were included. Median age was 67 years (range: 41-95y) with 20% ≥75 years. Racial distribution was: 75% White, 16% Black/African American, 8% Asian/Pacific. 55% were ECOG performance status (PS) 1-2. Patients received a median of 5 prior lines (range 1-11), and 35% were BCMA exposed (9% CAR-T, 5% ADC, 7% BsAb, 8% BsAb plus CAR-T, 4% ADC plus BsAb). Of those with available data, 45% had HRCA,13% had extramedullary disease (EMD) and 32% had penta-drug refractory RRMM. Overall, 48% would not have been eligible for the MagnetisMM-3 trial. Median follow-up was 6.3m (range 0.5-35.0). ORR was 53% (PR 11%, VGPR 33%, CR 8%, sCR 1%) and 67% for BCMA naïve patients. Responses were significantly lower for BCMA exposed patients (ORR 31%) but did not differ by age (51% <75yrs vs 60% ≥75yrs). On univariate analysis, prior BCMA exposure, platelets <50, presence of HRCA and penta-refractoriness were significantly associated with a lower response rate. PFS for the whole cohort at 6 and 12m was 64% (95%CI, 54-77%) and 52% (40-67%); for BCMA naïve patients, it was 77% (65-90%) and 67% (54-84%), respectively. Within the whole cohort, PFS was shorter for: BCMA exposed (median 4.0m vs not reached (NR)), platelets <50 (2.0 vs 21.7m), HRCA (7.2m vs NR), penta-refractory (4.3m vs NR). PFS did not differ significantly by EMD, PS, age, or creatinine clearance. OS for the whole cohort at 6 and12m was 74% (64-85%) and 58% (45-74%); for BCMA-naïve patients, it was 80% (43-85%) and 70% (57-87%), respectively. Within the whole cohort, OS was shorter for: BCMA exposed (median 10.3m vs NR), platelets <50 (4.3m vs NR), HRCA (10.7m vs NR) and penta-refractory (10.3m vs NR). Univariate regression analysis demonstrated that prior BCMA exposure, platelets <50 and penta-refractoriness were significantly associated with a worse PFS and OS, and HRCA predicted poorer survival CRS was observed in 41% of patients (grade(G)1: 35%, G2: 5%, ≥G3: 0%) with most occurring with the first step up dose (SUD): SUD1: 29%, SUD2: 15%, full dose: 4%. Tocilizumab was used in 20% and steroids in 3%. ICANS was observed in 4 cases (5%): G1: 2, G2: 1, G4: 1. Treatment was with steroids (n=3) and tocilizumab (n=2). G3-4 thrombocytopenia was observed in 19% and 14% required platelet transfusions. G3-4 neutropenia occurred in 25% with overall 31% requiring GCSF. Infections were reported in 33 (42%) patients with median time to infection of 41 days. A total of 94 infection episodes were observed over 581 personal months. There were 2 infection-related deaths reported (1 had IVIG, 1 did not). 64% had hypogammaglobulinemia (IgG < 400mg/dl) and IVIG was given in 65% of patients. Conclusions: In this first international real world analysis, Elranatamab achieved a response rate of 67% and a 12m PFS of 67% in BCMA naïve patients, similar to the MagnetisMM-3 trial despite almost half not meeting trial eligibility. However, prior BCMA exposure, platelets <50, high risk cytogenetics and penta refractory status were predictors of poorer outcomes. Acknowledgements: The International Myeloma Foundation, International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG)
Efficacy and safety of talquetamab + teclistamab in patients with Relapsed/Refractory multiple myeloma and extramedullary disease: Updated Phase 2 results from the redirectt-1 study with extended follow-up
Kumar, Shaji, Mateos, María‐Victoria , Ye, J Christine, Magen, Hila , Trudel, Suzanne , Richter, Joshua R. , Chuah, Hun , Yoon, Dok Hyun, Matous, Jeffrey, Dachs, Laura Rosiñol, Onodera, Koichi , Maffucci, Carmela, Heuck, Christoph, Henninger, Todd, O’Rourke, Lisa, Thakkar, Payal, Festa, M, Zhou, Jiangxiu, Takamoto, Mikihiro, Pei, Lixia, Lu, Jiashen, Au, Nicholas T., Krevvata, Maria, Cohen, Yaël C. , Usmani, Saad Z. , Kumar, Shaji , Atrash, Shebli , Quach, Hang , Chu, Michael, Rodríguez‐Otero, Paula , Gatt, Moshe E. , Medvedova, Eva , Raza, Shahzad , Yoon, Dok Hyun , Ishida, Tadao , Scott, Emma , Zhang, Jing , Festa, Mariacristina, Huang, Lin , Lu, Jiashen

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 698-698

10.1182/blood-2025-698 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Patients (pts) with soft tissue plasmacytomas noncontiguous with bone (true extramedullary disease [EMD]) have poor outcomes with standard therapies shown by low overall response rates (ORRs), which are not durable. Talquetamab (Tal; anti-GPRC5D×CD3) and teclistamab (Tec; anti-BCMA×CD3) are first-in-class bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) approved as monotherapies for triple-class exposed (TCE) relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Primary analysis from the RedirecTT-1 (NCT04586426) dedicated phase 2 EMD cohort (March 2025 data cut; median follow-up [mFU] 12.6 mo) showed Tal + Tec elicited an ORR of 78.9% (assessed by independent review committee) and a 12-mo progression-free survival (PFS) of 61.0%. Here, we report updated efficacy, using investigator assessment, and safety results from the phase 2 RedirecTT-1 EMD cohort with Tal + Tec. Importantly, we report EMD location and a novel analysis of tumor burden as a prognostic indicator of ORR. Methods: Pts had TCE RRMM and true EMD defined as ≥1 nonradiated soft tissue plasmacytoma noncontiguous with bone ≥2 cm in 1 dimension (with or without paramedullary plasmacytomas). Nonsecretory/oligosecretory disease was permitted. Prior CAR-T and non-BCMA/-GPRC5D BsAb therapies were permitted. Pts received Tal 0.8 mg/kg + Tec 3.0 mg/kg Q2W, preceded by step-up doses, with a permitted switch to monthly dosing at investigator's discretion after cycle 6 or after cycle 4 with confirmed ≥VGPR. Response was assessed per IMWG; EMD response was assessed by PET-CT or MRI whole-body scans. Tumor burden was assessed by total EMD tumor volume. Results: As of July 2025, 90 pts received Tal + Tec, with a median follow-up of 16.3 mo (range 0.5–23.7). Baseline characteristics were as previously reported; 39% had nonsecretory/oligosecretory disease, 20% had prior anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy, and 9% had prior BsAb therapy (all anti-FcRH5). The median number of plasmacytomas was 2 (range 1–7); 17 (18.9%), 29 (32.2%), and 74 (82.2%) pts, respectively, had ≥1 nodal, organ, or soft tissue EMD, while 11 (12.2%) also had ≥1 additional paramedullary plasmacytoma. Of 268 EMDs across all pts, 95 (35.4%) were nodal EMD, 77 (28.7%) were organ EMD (most commonly liver), and 64 (23.9%) were soft tissue EMD; 32 (11.9%) were paramedullary. Baseline EMD tumor volume was <25 cm2in 43 (47.8%) pts, 25–50 cm2 in 21 (23.3%) pts, and >50 cm2 in 26 (28.9%) pts. Per investigator assessment, ORR (95% CI) was 77.8% (67.8–85.9); 50.0% had a ≥CR. Median duration of response (DOR) was not estimable (NE; 12-mo DOR rate, 60.1%), 12-mo PFS was 55.6%, and median overall survival (OS) was NE (12-mo OS rate 73.8%). ORR was 90.7% (77.9–97.4; ≥CR 60.5%) in pts with EMD tumor volume <25 cm2, 66.7% (43.0–85.4; ≥CR 52.4%) for 25–50 cm2, and 65.4% (44.3–82.8; ≥CR 30.8%) for >50 cm2. Common adverse events (AEs) included CRS (77.8%; no grade [gr] 3/4) and neutropenia (72.2%; gr 3/4 62.2%). Taste changes (78.9%), non-rash skin AEs (68.9%), and nail AEs (55.6%) were all gr 1/2, and rash AEs (30.0%) were mostly gr 1/2. ICANS occurred in 11 (12.2%) pts (gr 3, 1.1%; gr 4, 1.1%). Infections occurred in 72 (80.0%) pts (gr 3/4 40.0%), most commonly upper respiratory tract infection (26.7%; gr 3/4 5.6%); IVIG was highly recommended to prevent and manage hypogammaglobulinemia and infection. Ten (11.1%) pts discontinued Tal + Tec due to treatment-emergent AEs (4 pts due to infections and 6 due to gr 5 AEs). Two pts discontinued Tal only due to AEs. In total, 11 (12.2%) pts had gr 5 AEs (6 due to infections), 6 of which were deemed to be drug related by investigators. Data will be updated with an additional 4 mo of follow-up for the presentation. Conclusions: With longer follow-up in pts with TCE RRMM with true EMD regardless of baseline tumor characteristics, Tal + Tec efficacy exceeded all approved therapies, including T-cell redirecting and cellular therapies, noting limitations of cross-study comparisons. Lower total EMD tumor volume was associated with a higher ORR but low pt numbers in each group and lack of statistical testing limits robust interpretation. The safety profile of Tal + Tec was generally consistent with each monotherapy; AEs were not exacerbated with the combination. These data continue to highlight the clinical benefit of the novel combination of Tal + Tec in pts with true EMD, a population with high disease burden and significant unmet need.
Genomics define neoplastic transformation in multiple myeloma precursor conditions
Kumar, Shaji , Asmann, Yan W. , Papadimitriou, Marios , Hultcrantz, Malin , Marella, Alessio , Lionetti, Marta , Matera, Antonio , Pioggia, Stefania, Magistris, Claudio De, Deavila, Daniel, Siegel, Erin M. , Agius, Phaedra , Teer, Jamie K. , Yamashita, Yusuke , Silva, Ariosto S. , Patel, Krina K. , Campbell, Peter J. , Shain, Kenneth H. , Yamashita, Yusuke , Maura, Francesco , Bergsagel, P. Leif , Ziccheddu, Bachisio , Maclachlan, Kylee , Derkach, Andriy , Garcés, Juan‐José , Firestone, Ross , Braggio, Esteban , Durante, Michael , Diamond, Benjamin , Castellano, Giancarlo , Maeda, Akihiro , Vià, Matteo Da , Leongamornlert, Daniel , Sudalagunta, Praneeth Reddy , Canevarolo, Rafael Renatino , McPherson, Andrew , Blaney, Patrick , Baz, Rachid , Morgan, Gareth J. , Fonseca, Rafaël , Landgren, Ola , Orlowski, Robert Z. , Bolli, Niccolò , Usmani, Saad Z. , Rajkumar, S. Vincent

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 686-686

10.1182/blood-2025-686 Get It

Abstract Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is always preceded by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). While these precursor conditions are asymptomatic, they are not entirely benign and carry a lifelong risk of progression to MM. Unlike other cancers defined by pathology, malignant transformation from MGUS or SMM to MM has so far relied on demonstration of clinical end-organ damage or high tumor cell burden (i.e. SLiM criteria, SV Rajkumar Lancet Onc 2014), as morphology and cytogenetics cannot reliably distinguish them. Methods: To identify genomic features underlying clinical behavior in MGUS and SMM, a total of 374 patients with SMM (n= 290) or MGUS (n=84) with available whole exome (whole exome sequencing, WES, n=190) or whole genome sequencing (whole genome sequencing WGS, n=184) were included in the study. Overall, none of the patients had evidence of SLiM or CRAB criteria at the time of the biopsy. Based on the center of origin and availability of WES and WGS, 227 and 97 patients were used to form our study training and validation set. The study was designed in two parts: 1) defining a new classification for MM precursor conditions; 2) integrating genomics to existing prognostic score to improve accuracy in identifying patients at imminent risk of progression. Overall, 68 patients in the training set were either lost to follow-up or enrolled in a clinical trial and they were only included in the classification part of the study. Results: By leveraging the distribution of established MM-defining genomic events (Maura et al. JCO 2024) in the training set, we developed a workflow that differentiates MGUS and SMM into two genomically distinct entities: one with evidence of neoplastic transformation (i.e., genomic MM) and one without (i.e., genomic MGUS). Overall, 39% of MGUS and 91% of SMM cases had genomic evidence of neoplastic transformation in the training set (i.e., genomic MM). When we applied the same workflow and classification to the validation set, 46% and 83% of MGUS and SMM had evidence of neoplastic transformation, respectively. Importantly, none of the patients classified as genomic-MGUS progressed to MM in either the training or validation cohorts, with a median follow-up of 40 and 61 months, respectively. Moreover, all patients with IMWG 2/20/20 high risk SMM were classified as genomic MM in both the training and validation set. Interestingly, 5 out of 62 (8%) patients enrolled in early intervention trials for high risk SMM were genomically classified as genomic-MGUS. Overall, these data demonstrated that the MM genomic background and neoplastic transformation can be acquired very early in time, even before the SMM phase, in line with what observed in solid tumors. To avoid overestimating the prognostic impact of myeloma-defining genomic events—which are, by definition, enriched in the genomic-MM group compared to genomic-MGUS—we restricted our prognostic analysis to patients in whom transformation has already occurred (genomic-MM). In fact, distinct genomic drivers may predict malignant transformation but not necessarily the risk of imminent progression to MM once transformation has occurred. After running 5-fold cross validations corrected for IMWG 2/20/20, only presence of RAS mutations, genomic events involving MYC, presence of neoplastic copy number variant (CNV) signatures and APOBEC mutagenesis were predictive of early progression in the training set. Adding the presence of high-risk myeloma-defining genomic events to the IMWG 2/20/20 model (i.e., genomic-IMWG) significantly improves the accuracy of predicting MM progression in both the training (c-index 0.69 vs. 0.74) and validation sets (c-index 0.74 vs. 0.79), compared to the IMWG 2/20/20 alone. Conclusion: By leveraging comprehensive genomic profiling integrated with the clinical IMWG 2/20/20 risk score, we propose a novel classification and prognostication system for MM precursor conditions, which will better define patients who may benefit from early therapeutic intervention versus watch-and-wait monitoring.
A randomized phase II study of daratumumab, lenalidomide, ixazomib, and dexamethasone in transplant-ineligible or deferred patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: Alliance Foundation Trial 41 (AFT-41)
Yee, Andrew, O'Donnell, Elizabeth, Nadeem, Omar, Nelson, Garth, Wildes, Tanya, Buck, Tondre, Tuchman, Sascha, Ghimire, Krishna, Sinclair, Sarah, Stewart, Catherine, Richardson, Paul, Usmani, Saad, Raje, Noopur, Yee, Andrew, O'Donnell, Elizabeth, Nadeem, Omar, Nelson, Garth, Wildes, Tanya, Buck, Tondre, Tuchman, Sascha, Ghimire, Krishna, Sinclair, Sarah, Stewart, Catherine, Richardson, Paul, Usmani, Saad, Raje, Noopur

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4053-4053

10.1182/blood-2025-4053 Get It

Abstract Introduction The treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) has rapidly evolved. Quadruplet induction combining an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, lenalidomide, a proteasome inhibitor, and dexamethasone has become a standard of care. In this prospective randomized phase 2 trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of induction with a four-drug combination of daratumumab (Dara), lenalidomide (R), ixazomib (I), and dexamethasone (d) (Dara-RId) in older, transplant ineligible or deferred patients, followed by maintenance with Dara RI versus R for up to 2 years. We hypothesized that this quadruplet would offer improved tolerability with less peripheral neuropathy in this older population as well as the convenience of largely oral therapy. Herein, we present the initial results of the induction phase of the study. Methods Transplant-ineligible or deferred patients with NDMM were eligible to participate. This was a multicenter trial sponsored by the Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC, AFT-41 (NCT04009109). Each cycle of treatment was 28 days. All patients received 12 cycles of induction therapy with daratumumab 1800 mg subcutaneously on the conventional schedule, lenalidomide 15 mg orally (po) on days 1-21, ixazomib 4 mg po on days 1, 8, 15, and dexamethasone weekly. After 12 cycles, patients received maintenance based on prior randomization (1:1) to Dara-RI or R for up to 2 years. In maintenance, R was reduced to 10 mg and I was reduced to 3 mg. Randomization assignment occurred prior to starting induction. Stratification was based on presence of high-risk features defined as ISS stage III or high-risk FISH cytogenetics (del 17, t (14;16), t (14;20), t (4;14), del (1p), or gain (1q)). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and adverse events. Results We enrolled 79 patients across 7 sites from October 2020 until December 2023. Accrual was affected by the COVID19 pandemic, leading to early closure to accrual in December 2023. Median age was 74 years (range 63-86); ≥75 years of age (45.6%); female (59.5%); white (83.5%), African American (7.6%), Asian (1.3%), and Hispanic ethnicity (6.3%). Additional baseline characteristics included ISS staging I (41.8%), II (35.4%), and III (22.8%) with high-risk features in 37% by ISS stage III and/or high-risk FISH. The 12-month PFS was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI] 86.1-98.4%). The ORR (≥ partial response [PR]) during induction was 92.4% (PR 22.8%; very good partial response [VGPR] 46.8%; complete response 15.2%; stringent complete response 7.6%). Notable grade ≥3 adverse events included neutropenia (16.5%), infections (11.4%), anemia (10.1%), thrombocytopenia (8.9%), and syncope (7.6%). There was no grade ≥3 peripheral neuropathy (grade 1, 15%; grade 2, 14%). No treatment-related mortality was reported. Sixty-one patients went on to maintenance therapy and seven patients discontinued treatment for adverse events during induction (8.9%). Conclusions Dara-RId therapy in NDMM appears to be efficacious with an ORR of 92.4%; VGPR or better of 69.6% and 12-month PFS of 92%. The combination was generally tolerated well with manageable toxicity, despite 45.6% of patients being ≥75, offering the convenience of an oral proteasome inhibitor, ixazomib, that minimizes the risk of peripheral neuropathy for older, transplant-ineligible or deferred patients. Follow-up is ongoing to determine the benefit of maintenance with Dara-RI v. R alone in this population. Support: AFT, Celgene, Janssen, Takeda.