A Phase II study of a GlaxoSmithKline drug to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma has been successful, the company said Friday.
The London-based drugmaker said it had positive headline results from the DREAMM-2 study of GSK2857916 (belantamab mafodotin), an antibody-drug conjugate that targets the antigen BCMA. It did not provide details of the data, but said they would be submitted for a upcoming scientific meeting and also for regulatory approvals starting later this year. The drug uses linker technology that GSK licensed from Seattle Genetics, which makes the drug Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin), approved for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and certain T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.
Belantamab mafodotin is one of several drugs in development for multiple myeloma that target BCMA. Others include bluebird bio and Celgene’s bb2121 (idecabtagene vicleucel), a CAR-T cell therapy, and Amgen’s AMG 420, a bispecific antibody. Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen subsidiary is also developing a BCMA-targeting CAR-T, JNJ-68284528, developed with Nanjing, China-based Legend Biotech. Analysts expect to see bluebird and Celgene’s CAR-T submitted for regulatory approval early next year.