A markedly elevated serum free light chain (FLC) ratio may serve as a biomarker for malignant transformation in high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) and identify patients who are at imminent risk of progression. We retrospectively studied the predictive value of the serum (FLC) assay in 586 patients with SMM diagnosed between 1970 to 2010. A serum involved/uninvolved FLC ratio ≥100 was used to define high-risk SMM, which included 15% (n = 90) of the total cohort. Receiver operating characteristics analysis determined the optimal FLC ratio cut-point to predict progression to symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) within 2 years of diagnosis, which resulted in a specificity of 97% and sensitivity of 16%. Fifty-six percent of patients developed progressive disease during median follow-up of 52 months, but this increased to 98% in the subgroup of patients with FLC ratio ≥100. The median time to progression in the FLC ratio ≥100 group was 15 months versus 55 months in the FLC <100 group (P<0.0001). The risk of progression to MM within the first 2 years in patients with an FLC ratio ≥100 was 72%; the risk of progression to MM or light chain amyloidosis in 2 years was 79%. We conclude that a high FLC ratio ≥100 is a predictor of imminent progression in SMM, and such patients may be considered candidates for early treatment intervention.

Aims: To evaluate AMG 701, a BiTE® molecule binding BCMA on MM cells and CD3 on T cells, in RR MM (Amgen, NCT03287908); primary objective was to evaluate safety and tolerability and estimate a biologically active dose; secondary objectives were to characterize pharmacokinetics (PK), anti-myeloma activity per IMWG criteria, and response duration. Methods: Patients with MM RR or intolerant to ≥3 lines [proteasome inhibitor (PI), IMiD, anti-CD38 Ab as available] received AMG 701 IV infusions weekly in 4-week cycles until disease progression (PD). A 0.8-mg step dose was added prior to target doses ≥1.2 mg to prevent severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Target dose was achieved by day 8 or sooner with earlier escalation. Exclusion criteria included: solely extramedullary disease; prior allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) in the past 6 months; prior autologous SCT in the past 90 days; CNS involvement; prior anti-BCMA therapy. The first 3 cohorts (dose 5-45 μg) had 1 patient each, the next cohorts (0.14-1.2 mg) had 3-4 patients each, and subsequent cohorts (1.6-12 mg) were to have 3-10 patients each. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was measured by next-generation sequencing (NGS, ≤10-5 per IMWG) or flow cytometry (≤3×10-5). Results: As of July 2, 2020, 75 patients received AMG 701. Patients had a median age of 63 years, a median time since diagnosis of 5.9 years, and a median (range) of 6 (1-25) prior lines of therapy; 27% of patients had extramedullary disease, 83% prior SCT, and 93% prior anti-CD38 Ab; 68% were triple refractory to a PI, an IMiD, and an anti-CD38 Ab. Median (Q1, Q3) treatment duration was 6.1 (3.1, 15.3) weeks and median follow-up on treatment was 1.7 (1.0, 3.7) months. Patients discontinued drug for PD (n=47), AEs (adverse events, n=4, 3 CRS, 1 CMV / PCP pneumonia), withdrew consent (4), other therapy (1), investigator discretion (1), and CNS disease (1); 17 patients remain on AMG 701. The most common hematological AEs were anemia (43%), neutropenia (23%), and thrombocytopenia (20%). The most common non-hematological AEs were CRS (61%), diarrhea (31%), fatigue (25%), and fever (25%). CRS was mostly grade 1 (n=19) or 2 (n=21) per Lee Blood 2014 criteria. All grade 3 CRS (n=5, 7%) were assessed as dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs); all were reversible with corticosteroids and tocilizumab, with median duration of 2 days. CRS grade 3 drivers included transient LFT increases in 3 patients and hypoxia in 2 patients. Other DLTs were 1 case each of transient grade 3 atrial fibrillation, transient grade 3 acidosis, and grade 4 thrombocytopenia. Serious AEs (n=29, 39%) included infections (13), CRS (7), and asymptomatic pancreatic enzyme rise (2, no imaging changes, 1 treatment related). There were 4 deaths from AEs, none related to AMG 701 (2 cases of sepsis, 1 of retroperitoneal bleeding, and 1 of subdural hematoma). Reversible treatment-related neurotoxicity was seen in 6 patients, with median duration of 1 day, all grade 1-2, and associated with CRS in 4 patients. The response rate was 36% (16/45) at doses of 3-12 mg; at ≤1.6 mg (n=27), there was 1 response at 0.8 mg in a patient with low baseline soluble BCMA (sBCMA). With earlier dose escalation with 9 mg, the response rate was 83% (5/6, 3 PRs, 2 VGPRs), with 4/5 responders being triple refractory and 1 DLT of grade 3 CRS in this group. Across the study, responses included 4 stringent CRs (3 MRD-negative, 1 not yet tested), 1 MRD-negative CR, 6 VGPRs, and 6 PRs (Table). Median (Q1, Q3) time to response was 1.0 (1.0, 1.9) month, time to best response was 2.8 (1.0, 3.7) months, and response duration was 3.8 (1.9, 7.4) months, with maximum duration of 23 months; responses were ongoing at last assessment in 14/17 patients (Figure). MRD was tested in 4 patients (3 sCR, 1 CR) and all were negative (3 by NGS, 1 by flow); MRD negativity was ongoing at last observations up to 20 months later. AMG 701 exhibited a favorable PK profile in its target patient population of RR MM, with AMG 701 exposures increasing in a dose-related manner. Patient baseline sBCMA levels were identified as a determinant of AMG 701 free drug exposures; at higher doses, encouraging preliminary responses were seen even at the higher end of baseline sBCMA values. Summary: In this FIH study with ongoing dose escalation, AMG 701, an anti-BCMA BiTE® molecule, demonstrated a manageable safety profile, encouraging activity, and a favorable PK profile in patients with heavily pre-treated RR MM, supporting further evaluation of AMG 701. Disclosures Harrison: Janssen: Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: wrt panobinostat; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; CRISPR Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Haemalogix: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen-Cilag: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria. Minnema:Amgen: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Celgene Corporation: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen Cilag: Honoraria. Lee:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Regeneron: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding. Spencer:AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Secura Bio: Consultancy, Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; HaemaLogiX: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmamar: Research Funding. Kapoor:Cellectar: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria. Madduri:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Foundation Medicine: Consultancy, Honoraria; GSK: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaking Engagement, Speakers Bureau; Kinevant: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaking Engagement, Speakers Bureau; Legend: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaking Engagement, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Larsen:Janssen Oncology: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Ailawadhi:Cellectar: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Medimmune: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Phosplatin: Research Funding. Kaufman:Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Tecnopharma: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi/Genyzme: Consultancy, Honoraria. Raab:Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Heidelberg Pharma: Research Funding; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Hari:BMS: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Iida:AbbVie: Research Funding; Merck Sharpe Dohme: Research Funding; Kyowa Kirin: Research Funding; Chugai: Research Funding; Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Ono: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Davies:Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive Biotech: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lesley:Amgen Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Upreti:Amgen Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Yang:Amgen Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Sharma:Amgen Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Minella:Amgen Inc.: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months; Beam Therapeutics Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lentzsch:Mesoblast: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; Janssen: Consultancy; Caelum Biosciences: Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Magenta: Current equity holder in private company; Sanofi: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Celularity: Consultancy; Sorrento: Consultancy. OffLabel Disclosure: AMG 701, a half-life extended BiTE® (bispecific T-cell engager) molecule is an investigational agent for multiple myeloma.

Over the last two decades, the utilization of various novel therapies in the upfront or salvage settings has continued to improve survival outcomes for patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM). Thus, the conventional role for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in MM either in the form of an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or an allogeneic stem cell transplant (Allo-SCT) warrants re-evaluation, given the aforementioned clinical advances. Here, we present a consensus statement of our multidisciplinary group of over 30 Mayo Clinic physicians with a special interest in the care of patients with MM and provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of HSCT in MM. We specifically address topics that include the role and timing of an ASCT for MM in the era of novel agents, eligibility for an ASCT, post-ASCT consolidation, and maintenance options, and finally the utility of an upfront tandem ASCT, salvage second ASCT, and an allo-SCT in MM.

No abstract

We studied 190 patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) at our institution between 1973 and 2014. Evolving change in monoclonal protein level (eMP) was defined as ⩾10% increase in serum monoclonal protein (M) and/or immunoglobulin (Ig) (M/Ig) within the first 6 months of diagnosis (only if M-protein ⩾3 g/dl) and/or ⩾25% increase in M/Ig within the first 12 months, with a minimum required increase of 0.5 g/dl in M-protein and/or 500 mg/dl in Ig. Evolving change in hemoglobin (eHb) was defined as ⩾0.5 g/dl decrease within 12 months of diagnosis. A total of 134 patients (70.5%) progressed to MM over a median follow-up of 10.4 years. On multivariable analysis adjusting for factors known to predict for progression to MM, bone marrow plasma cells ⩾20% (odds ratio (OR)=3.37 (1.30–8.77), P=0.013), eMP (OR=8.20 (3.19–21.05), P<0.001) and eHb (OR=5.86 (2.12–16.21), P=0.001) were independent predictors of progression within 2 years of SMM diagnosis. A risk model comprising these variables was constructed, with median time to progression of 12.3, 5.1, 2.0 and 1.0 years among patients with 0–3 risk factors respectively. The 2-year progression risk was 81.5% in individuals who demonstrated both eMP and eHb, and 90.5% in those with all three risk factors.