Multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, remains a challenging cancer to treat, but new advances are helping patients manage the disease more effectively. While it’s not considered curable, recent advances are not only extending lives but also improving the quality of life for many patients. Here’s an overview of the new research that’s transforming care.

How treatment has evolved

In recent years, multiple myeloma care has changed with immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Immunotherapy works by helping the body’s own immune system better recognize and attack cancer cells. Several types of immunotherapies are making a major impact in multiple myeloma care:

CAR T-Cell Therapy

CAR T-cell therapy works by taking a patient’s own immune cells (called T cells), modifying them in a lab to better attack myeloma cells, and returning them to the body. Researchers are exploring whether CAR T therapy could be effective when used earlier in treatment and if it could be an alternative to stem cell transplants.

Bispecific T-cell engagers 

Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) help your T cells recognize and kill cancer cells. These drugs have shown remarkable results in patients whose cancer returned after several other treatments. Some are now being tested earlier in the disease, with the hope of keeping myeloma in remission longer.

Targeted therapies: Precision against cancer

Targeted therapies attack specific genetic changes in the cells that are driving the spread and growth of cancer. While the most common targeted therapies to treat multiple myeloma are proteasome inhibitors and antibody drugs, there are many other medications available that may be more suitable for your own diagnosis.

Resistance to certain targeted therapies can develop over time. Researchers are exploring the optimal timing for these treatments and whether combining them with chemotherapy or immunotherapy can make them more effective.

Improving stem cell transplant

Stem cell transplants remain an important treatment for many people with multiple myeloma. However, sometimes not enough stem cells can be collected for the procedure. A newer drug motixafortide, approved in 2023, helps mobilize more stem cells from the bone marrow to the bloodstream, making transplants possible for more patients. Scientists today are examining ways to combat the side effects of motixafortide.

Catching multiple myeloma earlier

Myeloma often begins silently without obvious symptoms, but can sometimes progress to active disease. New studies are exploring whether early treatment in people at high risk of progression can delay a multiple myeloma diagnosis. These studies may lead to a future where doctors can intervene sooner, improving long-term outcomes.

Looking Ahead

With decades of research, the outlook for people with multiple myeloma continues to improve. The five-year survival rate in the U.S. now exceeds 62% and it’s expected to rise even more as newer therapies become widely available. 

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