ASH 2018: Ninlaro as a Maintenance Therapy After Transplant

Posted: Dec 04, 2018

Dr. Meletios A Dimopoulos presented an abstract which compared the use of Ixaomib to a placebo for maintenance after a stem cell transplant. This clinical trial was called Tourmaline-MM3, and was chosen as a top 5 abstract by 2 of the 4 doctors who had provided their "Best of the Best" abstracts.

Abstract 301 - Maintenance Therapy with the Oral Proteasome Inhibitor (PI) Ixazomib Significantly Prolongs Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM): Phase 3 Tourmaline-MM3 Trial.

This is the first randomized trial which effectively shows a 39% improvement in progression free survival of an proteasome inhibitor over no maintenance. This now becomes another possible available maintenance strategy. When compared to a previous trial of lenalidomide vs. placebo after stem cell transplant the improvement with lenalidomide was over 100%, however the survival rate after a median follow up of 86 months was only 18%. The Ixazomib trial has not a median follow up of just about two years and no data on the difference in Overall Survival was reported. This should happen in the future, and will be the true measure of Ixazomib as a single agent for maintenance.

Dr. Dimopoulos noted he felt the comparison is somewhat moot because the future of treatments is trending towards combinations and maintenance with ixazomib would be used in this context.

For more information, watch the video of Dr. Francesca Gay describing the results of this study.

about the author
Jennifer Ahlstrom

Myeloma survivor, patient advocate, wife, mom of 6. Believer that patients can help accelerate a cure by weighing in and participating in clinical research. Founder of Myeloma Crowd by HealthTree and the HealthTree Foundation.