Innovative Therapy to Combat Blood Cancer

A groundbreaking study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that a combination of two existing biologic drugs can stop the progression of multiple myeloma, a serious type of blood cancer. The research, coordinated by the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (SMC), was carried out by an international team of specialists from Israel, Canada, Spain and South Korea. Multiple myeloma is a condition that begins in plasma cells in the bone marrow and causes them to be overproduced and function abnormally, causing multiple bone lesions and an increased risk of fractures. The study tested the combination of talquetamab and teclistamab in patients in advanced stages of the disease, marking the first time that two biologic drugs, both bispecific antibodies capable of activating the immune system's T cells, have been used together in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

The results were impressive, with about 80% of the patients treated reporting a significant improvement in their condition. In the case of patients with extramedullary disease, characterized by the migration of cancer cells through the bloodstream, the response rate was 61%, and more than 80% of them showed no signs of disease progression over a period of one and a half years. The researchers emphasized that the combined use of the two antibodies significantly reduces the risk of developing resistance to treatment, a common problem with single-drug therapy.

Although the combination treatment had side effects, these were manageable with proper care, according to the researchers. The discovery opens new perspectives in the treatment of multiple myeloma, offering hope to patients in advanced stages of the disease and emphasizing the importance of innovative approaches based on therapeutic combinations. This discovery could mark a turning point in the fight against this devastating form of cancer.