According to a recent study presented by experts at the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, Modakafusp alfa, a novel drug, has demonstrated early promise in treating multiple myeloma, a kind of bone marrow cancer.

Modakafusp (created by Takeda Pharmaceuticals) is a fusion protein which targets interferon (a pro-inflammatory hormone also used to treat various malignancies and viral infections) to cells that express CD38, a surface marker seen on myeloma cells and several immune cells.

The study′s preliminary findings were presented at the ASH Annual Meeting in 2021. The drug has tolerable side effects and induces potent anti-myeloma responses, according to the final safety and efficacy studies released this year.

In the Phase I/II multicenter trial (NCT03215030), 43% of patients who received 1.5 mg of Modakafusp every four weeks experienced a partial response or a 50% or greater decline in their malignancy. Participants in the trial had at least three prior lines of therapy, and after the preceding therapy, their disease had relapsed or stopped responding. 

Experts were impressed by the results, which showed a significant proportion of patients benefited from Modakafusp as a single drug, especially those whose myeloma has developed resistance to conventional treatments. Also, Modakafusp showed promise in patients for whom previously effective monoclonal antibodies like Daratumumab and Isatuximab were no longer working. Despite medical advancements, myeloma is currently incurable, and all patients experience malignant relapses following initial chemotherapy and other initial lines of therapy.

87% of the trial participants reported adverse events related to their treatment with neutropenia and thrombocytopenia being the most frequent side effects among research participants, around one-third of patients experienced minor side effects following the drug′s infusion.

For the randomized phase II study, researchers are now enrolling patients to identify the optimal dose of Modakafusp and provide more information about its effectiveness in people with myeloma.

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/study-suggests-novel-drug-might-be-able-to-treat-multiple-myeloma/1261456/)