Multiple Myeloma: Current Advances and Future Directions

There have been many advances over the past decade that have dramatically changed the way we evaluate and treat patients with multiple myeloma (MM). These advances have more than doubled the average survival for patients with MM and have been crucial to an improved quality of life. We highlight recent changes to response assessment definitions, provide a review of minimal residual disease (MRD) testing, and describe how MRD testing may drive future goals of therapy. The evolving data from trials assessing novel combinations for frontline therapy and for the treatment of relapsed disease are reviewed. We present preliminary data from the 2 most promising novel agents, both of which may soon be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients with relapsed MM. Finally, we examine the exciting early data from phase 1 clinical trials investigating novel immunotherapeutics in refractory myeloma, including antibody–drug conjugates, dual-targeted T-cell–engaging antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells.