Daratumumab in multiple myeloma
Mené sur 106 patients atteints d'un myélome multiple réfractaire, cet essai international de phase II évalue l'efficacité, du point de vue du taux de réponse globale, et la toxicité du daratumumab, un anticorps monoclonal anti CD38
It is easy to be overwhelmed by hype in cancer research, with promising new discoveries often portrayed as so-called game changers. Most new treatments for cancer are far from being transformative, but daratumumab is possibly a rare exception. It targets CD38, an antigen that is uniformly expressed in myeloma cells. As the most anticipated new drug in multiple myeloma in more than a decade, daratumumab has all the features that are necessary to make a substantive difference in a devastating cancer, which—despite many advances—manages to outwit all available treatments over time: a novel mechanism of action, single-agent activity, non-cross resistance, and safety.