A retrospective, observational, real-world study has investigated the use of bispecific antibodies in adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The study, presented at the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting, highlights the increasing adoption of these agents in routine clinical practice. The research aims to compare real-world outcomes with those observed in prospective clinical trials.
Bispecific Antibody Usage in R/R Myeloma
The study found that 44.67% of evaluable patients (n = 253) received a bispecific antibody in 2023. Furthermore, prior to a July 2024 cutoff date, 54.32% of patients treated in 2024 (n = 162) had received one of these agents. These findings underscore the growing role of bispecific antibodies in the treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
Data Integration and Analysis
A key advancement in this study is the integration of both structured and unstructured data. According to Ira Zackon, MD, hematologist, medical oncologist, New York Oncology Hematology; senior medical director, Ontada, unstructured data, such as visit notes and attached documents, has been enhanced using artificial intelligence technologies to convert it into a structured data format, validated by human abstractors for accuracy.
Future Research Directions
Future iterations of this study will focus on a deeper analysis of patients treated with bispecific antibodies, examining their safety profiles and comparing real-world outcomes with those observed in prospective clinical trials, Zackon notes. This comparison will provide valuable insights into the real-world effectiveness and safety of bispecific antibodies in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
"The next iteration of this [analysis] will look much more deeply at those patients who got the bispecific antibodies and their safety experience. We can begin to look at outcomes and start to talk about how the real-world data compare [with] what we saw in prospective data," Zackon stated.
The next phase of this research will expand on these findings by continuing the analysis over the next few years to better understand the evolving patterns of care associated with bispecific antibodies in a larger patient cohort. The study also included patients who had been previously treated with at least 5 lines of therapy without such agents before receiving bispecific antibodies.
