Optimizing Cellular Therapy Use Across All Stages of Multiple Myeloma

In a conversation with CancerNetwork^®, Surbhi Sidana, MD, spoke about the FDA’s decision to award a national priority voucher to teclistamab-cqyv (Tecvayli) plus daratumumab (Darzalex) for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in December 2025, which may expedite the combination’s regulatory approval.¹ Looking beyond this potential approval, Sidana noted that ongoing and future initiatives in multiple myeloma aim to optimize the use of novel cellular therapies across all settings of multiple myeloma.

Sidana, an associate professor of medicine and lead of the Myeloma CAR-T/Immunotherapy Program at Stanford University in California, said that multiple myeloma trials are moving into the early relapse setting while suggesting a need for data comparing daratumumab plus teclistamab vs teclistamab alone. She also highlighted a European Myeloma Network study—the phase 3 MajesTEC-4 trial (NCT05243797)—assessing teclistamab in the maintenance setting among patients who undergo autologous stem cell transplantation.² Additionally, other studies may evaluate whether bispecific antibodies like teclistamab and talquetamab-tgvs (Talvey) can be used in place of transplant for certain multiple myeloma populations.

Transcript:

With everything in myeloma, we start with a late relapse. This is what we did with CAR T and bispecifics. Now, we are moving into early relapse. What we don’t know is [daratumumab/teclistamab] data vs [teclistamab] alone. That will be another thing. Teclistamab alone is also being studied. How much bang for [your] buck does the combination add vs teclistamab alone in this kind of setting? That is also going to be known soon by future studies or ongoing studies.

Now, these combinations are being tested in the frontline setting. There’s a large European Myeloma Network study that is testing teclistamab in the maintenance setting after autologous transplant. There are also studies looking at teclistamab as induction therapy. Can we use bispecific antibodies [like teclistamab/talquetamab] in lieu of transplant? It’s being explored in all stages of myeloma. In fact, it’s also being explored in smoldering myeloma.

References

1. FDA proactively awards national priority voucher based on strong phase 3 study results. News release. FDA. December 15, 2025. Accessed January 15, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/2x9uvufa
2. Phase 3 study of teclistamab in combination with lenalidomide and teclistamab alone versus lenalidomide alone in participants with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma as maintenance therapy following autologous stem cell transplantation (MajesTEC-4). ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated December 30, 2025. Accessed January 15, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/2hvr225a