20 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS TOP DOCTORS • JANUARY 25, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens top doctors
Courtesy BPT - Sponsored content by Bristol-Myers Squibb
Recently presented long-term progressionfree
survival data in multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is one of the most
common types of blood cancer, with more
than 30,000 Americans expected to be
diagnosed this year.1 Formed by malignant
plasma cells that are typically located
within bone marrow, multiple myeloma
oft en causes no symptoms until an
advanced stage.2 Despite advances in
treatment over the last decade, less than
half of patients survive longer than fi ve
years aft er diagnosis.1
Th ere have been numerous advancements
in multiple myeloma research and
treatment options that have improved the
overall prognosis of the disease. Some
of these advancements involve exploring
potential ways to work directly with
patients’ immune systems to fi ght multiple
myeloma, an area of research known
as Immuno-Oncology (I-O).3,4
Recently, research looking at follow-up
data for relapsed or refractory multiple
myeloma I-O treatment, Empliciti™ (elotuzumab),
was presented at the 22nd
Congress of the European Hematology
Association. Empliciti is a prescription
medicine used to treat multiple myeloma
in combination with the medicines lenalidomide
and dexamethasone in people
who have received one to three prior treatments
for their multiple myeloma.5 It is
not known if Empliciti is safe and eff ective
in children.
Empliciti in combination with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone may cause
the following serious side eff ects: infusion
reactions, infections, risk of developing
new cancers (malignancies) and
liver problems. Th ere are also other serious
risks associated with lenalidomide to
females and males of reproductive potential,
including possible serious birth defects
or death of an unborn baby, and specific
requirements regarding birth control,
pregnancy testing and blood and/or sperm
donation.5 For more information, please
read Important Safety Information below.
Patients’ healthcare team will work with
them to manage any side eff ects they may
experience throughout treatment with
Empliciti.
In the clinical trial of 646 multiple
myeloma patients who had received one
to three prior treatments (in which 321
received Empliciti with lenalidomide and
dexamethasone, and 325 received lenalidomide
and dexamethasone alone),
more people in the Empliciti treatment
arm were living with their disease under
control aft er four years of follow-up.
Empliciti, in combination with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone in patients who
had received one to three prior therapies,
is the only therapy that demonstrated a
long-term benefi t in progression-free survival
that was maintained through four
years versus lenalidomide and dexamethasone
alone.6
Aft er at least two years of follow-up, people
who received Empliciti with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone were at 30% less
risk of their disease progressing or passing
away from any cause, compared with people
taking lenalidomide and dexamethasone
alone. Aft er at least four years of follow
up, results were similar.At the fouryear
follow-up, there was a 21% chance
that people taking Empliciti with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone were still living
with their disease under control, compared
with a 14% chance for people taking
lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone.
Th e study was designed to look at
progression-free survival at two years.
Progression-free survival is the length of
time during and aft er treatment of a disease
that a patient lives with the disease,
but it does not get worse.
Th e study was also designed to look at
the overall response rate. Overall response
rate is the percentage of patients who
responded to treatment-for example,
patients whose level of M protein was lowered
by a certain amount. Overall response
rates include complete response, very good
partial response and partial response.
Th e main analysis for progression-free
survival took place at two years. Patients
still benefi ting from treatment continued
in the study, and a follow-up analysis was
done at four years. Both evaluations were
based on the entire population of 646
patients.
At two years, there was a 41% chance
that people taking Empliciti with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone were living
with their disease under control, compared
with a 27% chance for people taking
lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone.
Also in this study, about four out of
fi ve people (78.5%) responded to treatment
with Empliciti with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone, compared to about
two out of three people (65.5%) taking
lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone.
Th e most common side eff ects of
Empliciti in combination with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone and lenalidomide
and dexamethasone alone, respectively,
were fatigue (61.6%, 51.7%); diarrhea
(46.9%, 36.0%); fever (37.4%, 24.6%);
constipation (35.5%, 27.1%); cough
(34.3%, 18.9%); numbness, weakness, tingling,
or burning pain in your arms or
legs (26.7%, 20.8%); sore throat or runny
nose (24.5%, 19.2%); upper respiratory
tract infection (22.6%, 17.4%); decreased
appetite (20.8%, 12.6%); and pneumonia
(20.1%, 14.2%). Th ese side eff ect rates
were determined aft er the typical patient
had received about 19 cycles of Empliciti
with lenalidomide and dexamethasone or
14 cycles of lenalidomide and dexamethasone
alone. Th ese side eff ects were experienced
by at least 20% of patients receiving
Empliciti with lenalidomide and dexamethasone
and at a 5% or greater rate than
patients who took lenalidomide and dexamethasone
alone.
Th e percentage of patients who stopped
treatment due to side eff ects was similar
for both treatment groups (6.0% for
patients who received Empliciti with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone and 6.3% for
patients who received lenalidomide and
dexamethasone alone).6
Researchers across the globe are continuing
research into activating the body’s
immune system to fi ght cancers, both
hematologic and solid tumors, with the
goal of providing more eff ective treatment
options. Th e results of this follow-up analysis
are an important step toward progress
in supporting relapsed or refractory multiple
myeloma patients.6
Empliciti is available by prescription
only in 300 mg and 400 mg vials for injection
for intravenous use. Empliciti may not
work for all patients, and individual results
may vary.