Andree Amelsberg, MD, MBA, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Janssen, discusses data presented at ASH 2020 from the ongoing APOLLO study.
The purpose of the APOLLO study is to evaluate the effects of adding daratumumab to pomalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Pd) in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) in subjects with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma is a rare hematologic malignancy characterized by the expansion of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow associated with excessive production of monoclonal immunoglobulins in blood and urine. Individuals with multiple myeloma develop significant osteolytic bone lesions and have immunodeficiency that compromise their longevity and quality of life. Numerous treatment options are available for multiple myeloma but relapse is common.
As Dr. Amelsberg explains in the video, the APOLLO study met its primary endpoint of improved PFS. The median PFS was almost twice as long for the D-Pd group compared to the pomalidomide and dexamethasone only (Pd) group (12.4 vs 6.9 months, respectively.) The hazard ratio was 0.63, representing a 37% reduction in the risk of progression or death in patients treated with D-Pd. One of the secondary endpoints of the study was overall response rate. The overall response rate favored the D-Pd arm over the Pd arm. Furthermore, the complete response rate was almost 4 times higher in the D-Pd compared to the Pd arm. This data would indicate that daratumumab in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone is an effective treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
For the latest developments from ASH 2020, click here.