Melphalan flufenamide (melflufen), a first-in-class alkylating peptide-drug conjugate, plus dexamethasone was approved in Europe for use in patients with triple-class refractory relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) with ≥3 prior lines of therapy and without prior autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or with a time to progression >36 months after prior ASCT. The randomized LIGHTHOUSE study (NCT04649060) assessed melflufen plus daratumumab and dexamethasone (melflufen group) versus daratumumab in patients with RRMM with disease refractory to an immunomodulatory agent and a proteasome inhibitor or who had received ≥3 prior lines of therapy including an immunomodulatory agent and a proteasome inhibitor. A partial clinical hold issued by the US Food and Drug Administration for all melflufen studies led to financial constraints and premature study closure on February 23rd 2022 (data cut-off date). In total, 54 of 240 planned patients were randomized (melflufen group, N=27; daratumumab group, N=27). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached in the melflufen group versus 4.9 months in the daratumumab group (Hazard Ratio: 0.18 [95% Confidence Interval, 0.05-0.65]; P=0.0032) at a median follow-up time of 7.1 and 6.6 months, respectively. Overall response rate (ORR) was 59% in the melflufen group versus 30% in the daratumumab group (P=0.0300). The most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events in the melflufen group versus daratumumab group were neutropenia (50% vs. 12%), thrombocytopenia (50% vs. 8%), and anemia (32% vs. 19%). Melflufen plus daratumumab and dexamethasone demonstrated superior PFS and ORR versus daratumumab in RRMM and a safety profile comparable to previously published melflufen studies.

• MeSH
• autologní transplantace MeSH
• dexamethason terapeutické užití   MeSH
• fenylalanin * analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• inhibitory proteasomu MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melfalan * analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• mnohočetný myelom * diagnóza   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• monoklonální protilátky * MeSH
• nádory plazmocelulární * MeSH
• neutropenie * MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• transplantace hematopoetických kmenových buněk * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze III MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Spojené státy americké MeSH

Melphalan flufenamide (melflufen), a first-in-class, alkylating peptide-drug conjugate, demonstrated clinical benefit in combination with dexamethasone in triple-class refractory multiple myeloma (MM). The phase I/IIa ANCHOR study evaluated melflufen (30 or 40 mg) and dexamethasone (40 mg with daratumumab; 20 mg followed by 40 mg with bortezomib; dose reduced if aged ≥75 years) in triplet combination with daratumumab (16 mg/kg; daratumumab arm) or bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2; bortezomib arm) in patients with relapsed/refractory MM refractory to an immunomodulatory agent and/or a proteasome inhibitor and who had received one to four prior lines of therapy. Primary objectives were to determine the optimal dose of melflufen in triplet combination (phase I) and overall response rate (phase IIa). In total, 33 patients were treated in the daratumumab arm and 23 patients received therapy in the bortezomib arm. No dose-limiting toxicities were reported at either melflufen dose level with either combination. With both triplet regimens, the most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were thrombocytopenia and neutropenia; thrombocytopenia was the most common treatment-emergent adverse event leading to treatment discontinuation. In the daratumumab arm, patients receiving melflufen 30 mg remained on treatment longer than those receiving the 40-mg dose. In the daratumumab arm, the overall response rate was 73% and median progression-free survival was 12.9 months. Notably, in the bortezomib arm, the overall response rate was 78% and median progression-free survival was 14.7 months. Considering the totality of the data, melflufen 30 mg was established as the recommended dose for use with dexamethasone and daratumumab or bortezomib for future studies in relapsed/refractory MM.

• MeSH
• bortezomib terapeutické užití   MeSH
• dexamethason terapeutické užití   MeSH
• fenylalanin * analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melfalan * analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• mnohočetný myelom * diagnóza   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• monoklonální protilátky * MeSH
• nádory plazmocelulární * MeSH
• neutropenie * chemicky indukované   MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• trombocytopenie * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze I MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze II MeSH

BACKGROUND: Melphalan flufenamide (melflufen), an alkylating peptide-drug conjugate, plus dexamethasone showed clinical activity and manageable safety in the phase 2 HORIZON study. We aimed to determine whether melflufen plus dexamethasone would provide a progression-free survival benefit compared with pomalidomide plus dexamethasone in patients with previously treated multiple myeloma. METHODS: In this randomised, open-label, head-to-head, phase 3 study (OCEAN), adult patients (aged ≥18 years) were recruited from 108 university hospitals, specialist hospitals, and community-based centres in 21 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. Eligible patients had an ECOG performance status of 0-2; must have had relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, refractory to lenalidomide (within 18 months of randomisation) and to the last line of therapy; and have received two to four previous lines of therapy (including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor). Patients were randomly assigned (1:1), stratified by age, number of previous lines of therapy, and International Staging System score, to either 28-day cycles of melflufen and dexamethasone (melflufen group) or pomalidomide and dexamethasone (pomalidomide group). All patients received dexamethasone 40 mg orally on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each cycle. In the melflufen group, patients received melflufen 40 mg intravenously over 30 min on day 1 of each cycle and in the pomalidomide group, patients received pomalidomide 4 mg orally daily on days 1 to 21 of each cycle. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival assessed by an independent review committee in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Safety was assessed in patients who received at least one dose of study medication. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03151811, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between June 12, 2017, and Sept 3, 2020, 246 patients were randomly assigned to the melflufen group (median age 68 years [IQR 60-72]; 107 [43%] were female) and 249 to the pomalidomide group (median age 68 years [IQR 61-72]; 109 [44%] were female). 474 patients received at least one dose of study drug (melflufen group n=228; pomalidomide group n=246; safety population). Data cutoff was Feb 3, 2021. Median progression-free survival was 6·8 months (95% CI 5·0-8·5; 165 [67%] of 246 patients had an event) in the melflufen group and 4·9 months (4·2-5·7; 190 [76%] of 249 patients had an event) in the pomalidomide group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·79, [95% CI 0·64-0·98]; p=0·032), at a median follow-up of 15·5 months (IQR 9·4-22·8) in the melflufen group and 16·3 months (10·1-23·2) in the pomalidomide group. Median overall survival was 19·8 months (95% CI 15·1-25·6) at a median follow-up of 19·8 months (IQR 12·0-25·0) in the melflufen group and 25·0 months (95% CI 18·1-31·9) in the pomalidomide group at a median follow-up of 18·6 months (IQR 11·8-23·7; HR 1·10 [95% CI 0·85-1·44]; p=0·47). The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse events were thrombocytopenia (143 [63%] of 228 in the melflufen group vs 26 [11%] of 246 in the pomalidomide group), neutropenia (123 [54%] vs 102 [41%]), and anaemia (97 [43%] vs 44 [18%]). Serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 95 (42%) patients in the melflufen group and 113 (46%) in the pomalidomide group, the most common of which were pneumonia (13 [6%] vs 21 [9%]), COVID-19 pneumonia (11 [5%] vs nine [4%]), and thrombocytopenia (nine [4%] vs three [1%]). 27 [12%] patients in the melflufen group and 32 [13%] in the pomalidomide group had fatal treatment-emergent adverse events. Fatal treatment-emergent adverse events were considered possibly treatment related in two patients in the melflufen group (one with acute myeloid leukaemia, one with pancytopenia and acute cardiac failure) and four patients in the pomalidomide group (two patients with pneumonia, one with myelodysplastic syndromes, one with COVID-19 pneumonia). INTERPRETATION: Melflufen plus dexamethasone showed superior progression-free survival than pomalidomide plus dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. FUNDING: Oncopeptides AB.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 farmakoterapie   MeSH
• dexamethason škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• fenylalanin škodlivé účinky   analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• lenalidomid škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melfalan škodlivé účinky   analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• mnohočetný myelom * farmakoterapie   MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• thalidomid škodlivé účinky   analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze III MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie MeSH

INTRODUCTION: The overall survival of patients with multiple myeloma has improved with the advent of novel agents; however, multiple myeloma remains incurable. Combinations of standard-of-care agents such as immunomodulators, proteasome inhibitors, and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies are increasingly used in earlier lines of therapy. Patients with disease that is refractory to multiple novel agents represent a population with high unmet medical need and for whom therapies with new mechanisms of action could be beneficial. Melphalan flufenamide (melflufen) has demonstrated encouraging activity in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. AREAS COVERED: This review provides an overview of the mechanism of action of melflufen, a first-in-class peptide-drug conjugate that targets aminopeptidases and rapidly delivers alkylating agents into tumor cells. It reviews key Phase I and II clinical trial data for melflufen in combination with dexamethasone as well as in triplet combinations with daratumumab or bortezomib. The safety profile of melflufen, which is characterized primarily by clinically manageable hematologic adverse events, is described. EXPERT OPINION: Melflufen has potential to fill a gap in the myeloma treatment landscape by providing a new mechanism of action with clinically meaningful efficacy and a favorable safety profile in patients refractory to multiple novel agents.

• MeSH
• antitumorózní látky alkylující aplikace a dávkování   škodlivé účinky   farmakologie   MeSH
• fenylalanin aplikace a dávkování   škodlivé účinky   analogy a deriváty   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melfalan aplikace a dávkování   škodlivé účinky   analogy a deriváty   farmakologie   MeSH
• míra přežití MeSH
• mnohočetný myelom farmakoterapie   patologie   MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie aplikace a dávkování   škodlivé účinky   farmakologie   MeSH
• recidiva MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Melflufen is a novel peptide-drug conjugate that rapidly delivers a cytotoxic payload into tumor cells. It has emerged as a potential new multiple myeloma treatment, particularly for late-stage forms of the disease. Here we describe the rationale and design of OCEAN (NCT03151811), a randomized, head-to-head, superiority, open-label, global, Phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of melflufen + dexamethasone versus pomalidomide + dexamethasone. Eligible patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma have received 2-4 previous treatments and are refractory to both lenalidomide and their last treatment. Patients are excluded if they have previously received pomalidomide. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival, and key secondary endpoints include overall response rate, duration of response and overall survival.

• MeSH
• chemorezistence MeSH
• dexamethason terapeutické užití   MeSH
• doba přežití bez progrese choroby MeSH
• fenylalanin analogy a deriváty   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze III jako téma MeSH
• lenalidomid škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melfalan analogy a deriváty   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• mnohočetný myelom farmakoterapie   patologie   MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie terapeutické užití   MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie jako téma MeSH
• recidiva MeSH
• thalidomid analogy a deriváty   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• protokol klinické studie MeSH