In the study, grade 3 and 4 adverse events included neutropenia (14%), lymphopenia (14%) and thrombocytopenia (13%). The overall rate of treatment-emergent grade 3/4 adverse events was 56%. The overall rate of grade 3/4 elotuzumab-related adverse events was 24%. Of patients with infusion-related reactions, one patient (1.6%) experienced grade 3 rash within 24 hours of treatment with elotuzumab. There were no grade 4 infusion-related adverse events. The most common elotuzumab-related adverse events were fatigue (21%), pyrexia (14%), lymphopenia (11%), nausea (11%) diarrhea (11%), constipation (10%) and neutropenia (10%).
Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the United States, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 35%. Elotuzumab is an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody specifically directed against CS1, a cell-surface glycoprotein that is highly and uniformly present on multiple myeloma cells.
Paul G. Richardson, M.D. Clinical Director, Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, lead author and investigator on the study said, There remains a need for more effective and tolerable treatment options for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma, as almost all patients eventually relapse and require further therapy.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott’s news releases and other information are available on the company’s Web site at www.abbott.com/.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information, please visit www.bms.com.
