Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and 2seventy bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSVT) have announced that on April 4, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Abecma®(idecabtagene vicleucel; ide-cel) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after two or more prior lines of therapy including an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD), a proteasome inhibitor (PI), and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, based on results from the KarMMa-3 trial.
This approval expands Abecma’s indication, making it available in earlier lines to patients who have relapsed or become refractory after exposure to these three main classes of treatment (triple-class exposed), after two prior lines of therapy. Abecma is administered as a one-time infusion, with a new recommended dose range of 300 to 510 x 106 CAR-positive T cells. Please see the Important Safety Information section below, including Boxed WARNINGS for Abecma regarding Cytokine Release Syndrome, Neurologic Toxicities, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis/Macrophage Activation Syndrome, Prolonged Cytopenia, and Secondary Hematological Malignancies.
Despite advances in treatment, multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease characterized by periods of remission and relapse. In early lines of treatment, regimens consisting of combinations of IMiDs, PIs, and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies are often used to help manage the disease. Unfortunately, as many patients go on to relapse and/or become refractory to these classes of therapy, more patients are becoming triple-class exposed earlier in their treatment journey.
BMY shares began Friday down 27 cents to $51.12, while those for TSVT eked up 2.5 cents to $5.04.
Related Stories
