A wave of advancements is reshaping the landscape of oncology, offering new hope for patients with various cancers. Recent developments include promising CAR T-cell therapies for multiple myeloma, FDA approval for an innovative colorectal cancer screening test, and a novel treatment approach for non-small cell lung cancer.
CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Multiple Myeloma
HBI0101, a BCMA-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, is demonstrating encouraging results in a phase 1 trial (NCT04720313) involving patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The academically sourced and produced CAR T-cell therapy was evaluated in patients who had received at least three prior lines of therapy. According to data presented at the 21st International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting, HBI0101 exhibits high efficacy and manageable safety, even in a frailer and higher-risk population compared to registrational studies with commercial products. Eyal Lebel, MD, of the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cancer Immunotherapy at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, highlighted these findings, noting the therapy's potential in this challenging patient group.
FDA Approves Cologuard Plus for Colorectal Cancer Screening
The FDA has approved Cologuard Plus, a noninvasive stool DNA test, for colorectal cancer screening in adults aged 45 years and older. The approval is based on data from the BLUE-C study (NCT04144738), which included over 20,000 patients with approximately 40% identifying as Hispanic or Latino, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Pacific Islander. The BLUE-C study demonstrated that Cologuard Plus significantly outperformed the Polymedco OC-Auto Micro 80iFOB Test in detecting colorectal cancer and related conditions. Thomas F. Imperiale, MD, professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, emphasized the test's high colorectal cancer sensitivity and specificity, making it a strong option for first-line screening of average-risk patients.
Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy Approved for NSCLC
Neoadjuvant nivolumab (Opdivo) plus chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant nivolumab, has received FDA approval for the treatment of operable stage IIA to IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The approval was based on data from the CheckMate 77T trial (NCT04025879), which compared the approach with placebo. Updated data presented at the 2024 ESMO Congress showed a significant improvement in event-free survival. Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, associate professor of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and CheckMate 77T investigator, described the approval as a major step forward for patients with NSCLC.
Belantamab Mafodotin-blmf Shows Promise in Multiple Myeloma
In relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep), combined with pomalidomide (Pomalyst) and dexamethasone (BPd), demonstrated a higher percentage of patients achieving meaningful improvements compared with bortezomib (Velcade), pomalidomide, and dexamethasone (PVd). Data from the phase 3 DREAMM-8 trial (NCT04484623), presented at the 21st International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting, indicated that while there were no significant differences in global health status and quality of life, these measures were maintained over time. Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine in Greece, stated that these results, combined with the significant progression-free survival benefit observed in DREAMM-8, support the use of BPd as a potential new standard of care in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
