Expert Perspectives on the FDA Approval of Teclistamab-Daratumumab

Maria Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, director of the myeloma unit at the University Hospital of Salamanca; Luciano Costa, MD, PhD, Mary and Bill Battle Professor of Multiple Myeloma and director of the Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatment Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Roberto Mina, MD, associate professor of Hematology at Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, discuss the takeaways from the FDA approval of teclistamab (Tecvayli) plus daratumumab (Darzalex) in the second line and beyond in multiple myeloma.

They stress the low rate of severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in the MajesTEC-3 trial (NCT05083169) and suggest that outpatient administration of teclistamab and other bispecific antibodies is becoming much easier as physicians gain experience with these agents. Additionally, improved mitigation strategies make these toxicities easier to manage, such as prophylactic tocilizumab (Actemra) or dexamethasone.

Although it may take time for physicians to become used to this regimen, there is greater urgency now that it can be given after a single relapse, and it has potential to benefit patients. The FDA approval represents bispecific antibody therapy going mainstream after being considered a last resort after multiple prior lines.