Similar results for once- or twice-weekly carfilzomib in MM

Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma have similar outcomes whether they receive carfilzomib once or twice a week, according to a pooled analysis of trial data.

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Researchers found no significant difference in safety, progression-free survival (PFS), or overall survival (OS) whether patients received carfilzomib at 70 mg/m² once a week or 36 mg/m² twice a week.

Sara Bringhen, MD, PhD, of University of Turin, Italy, and her colleagues conducted this analysis and detailed the results in Haematologica.

The researchers pooled data from a phase 1/2 trial (NCT01857115) and a phase 2 trial (NCT01346787), both enrolling transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

In both studies, induction consisted of nine 4-week cycles of carfilzomib (given once or twice weekly), cyclophosphamide (300 mg on days 1, 8, and 15), and dexamethasone (40 mg on days 1, 8, 15, and 22). After induction, patients received carfilzomib maintenance (at either dose) until progression or intolerable toxicity.