Empliciti Approved by FDA to Treat Multiple Myeloma
- By BSTQ Staff
Empliciti (elotuzumab) in combination with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (a type of corticosteroid) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat individuals with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior medications. Empliciti, marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, activates the body’s immune system to attack and kill multiple myeloma cells.
Its safety and efficacy were tested in a randomized, open-label clinical study of 646 participants whose multiple myeloma came back after, or did not respond to, previous treatment. Those taking Empliciti plus the two other therapies experienced a delay in the amount of time before their disease worsened (19.4 months) compared with participants taking only Revlimid and dexamethasone (14.9 months). In addition, 78.5 percent of those taking Empliciti with the two other therapies saw a complete or partial shrinkage of their tumors compared with 60.1 percent in those taking only Revlimid and dexamethasone. The most common side effects were fatigue, diarrhea, fever, constipation, cough, nerve damage resulting in weakness or numbness in the hands and feet, infection of the nose and throat, upper-respiratory tract infection, decreased appetite and pneumonia.
