J&J sees positive data from pair of multiple myeloma approaches at ASH

 

• At the American Society of Hematology annual meeting over the weekend, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ -0.5%) posted attention-getting data on a pair of approaches to multiple myeloma.
• One study confirmed the company's cilta-cel as the most efficacious CAR-T therapy, with more than three-quarters of patients treated with the experimental therapy alive at least a year without their cancer worsening.
• The results have been stronger than those of a rival CAR-T therapy from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY -1.1%) and Bluebird Bio (BLUE -0.4%), who might now face some long-run pressure to come up with a better approach.
• Toxicity is still an issue for cilta-cel, with six subjects dying, leaving 97 evaluable subjects. But overall remission rate is at 97% (vs. 73% overall, or 82% at highest dose, for the BMY/Bluebird idle-cel).
• Meanwhile, in an indication that multiple myeloma approaches vary beyond targeting the BCMA antigen, JNJ's talquetamab impressed with data from its dose-escalation trial.
• Talquetamab is a biospecific against the GPRC5D antigen that has been used to treat 157 patients.
• The lowest doses have turned out inactive, but subjects given over 20µg/kg are seeing a response rate of 66%, while 13 patients who received 405µg/kg subcutaneously (the Phase 2 dose) saw ORR of 69%.
• https://seekingalpha.com/news/3642175-johnson-johnson-sees-positive-data-from-pair-of-multiple-myeloma-approaches-ash