<![CDATA[BCMA-Directed Bispecific Antibodies Navigating a New Era in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma]]>

Summary: Doctors have an exciting new way to treat multiple myeloma, a tough type of blood cancer. In the past, patients who had already tried multiple treatments only had about a 30% chance of the cancer responding to more therapy. Now, doctors are using new drugs called BCMA-directed bispecific antibodies (with names like teclistamab, elranatamab, and linvoseltamab).

These medicines act like a bridge, grabbing a patient's own immune cells (T-cells) and connecting them directly to the cancer cells to destroy them. The best part is that these drugs are "off-the-shelf." Unlike some other advanced treatments that take up to a month to custom-make in a lab, bispecific antibodies are ready to use almost immediately. Thanks to these drugs, the success rate for heavily treated patients has doubled to between 60% and 70%.

Doctors do have to watch out for side effects, like infections and an immune overreaction called CRS. To keep patients safe, doctors give them preventative treatments, like monthly IVIG (extra antibodies to fight off germs), and work closely to coordinate care between big hospitals and local clinics.

For more details, see cancernetwork at cancernetwork.com/view/bcma-directed-bispecific-antibodies-navigating-a-new-era-in-relapsed-refractory-multiple-myeloma (opens in new tab)