Myeloma – the phase 3 PERSEUS trial from the European Myeloma Network randomised approximately 700 newly diagnosed patients with myeloma to treatment with dartumumab, velcade, revlimid and dexamethasone (D-VRD) or VRD followed by an autologous stem cell transplantation, 2 cycles of consolidation with D-VRD or VRD followed by maintenance treatment with dara-revlimid or revlimid alone.
There was a significant improvement in complete remission rates (87% vs 70%) and progression-free survival at 4 years (84.3% vs 67.7%) for patients in the D-VRD arm. These exciting results suggest that D-VRD may become the standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed myeloma.
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) – the phase 3 SYMPATICO trial randomised approximately 260 patients with relapsed MCL to venetoclax (for 2 years) and ibrutinib vs ibrutinib alone. There was a significant improvement in complete remission rate (54% vs 32%) and progression free survival (31.9 months vs 22.1 months) for patients treated with the combination of venetoclax and ibrutinib.