CHICAGO – The phase III CASTOR trial tested addition of daratumumab—an anti-CD38 antibody—to bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Compared with the dual therapy, the triple therapy reduced the risk of progression or death by 61%, with little increase in toxicity, according to data reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
In an interview at the meeting, lead author Dr. Antonio Palumbo fielded key questions: Do some patients benefit more than others? Does the antibody prolong overall survival? And how much will it cost?
Dr. Palumbo is chief of the multiple myeloma Unit at the University of Torino, Italy.