Practical Aspects of the Use of Carfilzomib in Multiple Myeloma

Carfilzomib (Kyprolis®, Amgen), a second-generation proteasome inhibitor, is capable of covalent bonding and irreversible inhibition of the 20S proteasome chymotrypsin-like activity. In 2016 this drug was approved in Russia for monotherapy of relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (MM) and in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (KRd) or only with dexamethasone (Kd) for treatment of patients with relapsed MM after at least one line of prior therapy. The present review outlines mechanism, clinical efficacy, and adverse effects of carfilzomib according to the data of a phase II (monotherapy) trial and two key randomized phase III (carfilzomib combined with other drugs) trials. The ASPIRE trial demonstrated that adding carfilzomib to the combination of lenalidomide and dexamethasone (KRd) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) compared with the Rd original regimen (median 26.3 vs. 17.6 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.69; p = 0.0001). Median overall survival (OS) was 48.3 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 42.4–52.8 months) for KRd vs. 40.4 months (95% CI 33.6–44.4 months) for Rd (HR 0.79; p = 0.0045). The ENDEAVOR trial showed that as compared with combination of bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) the carfilzomib + dexamethasone (Kd) regimen significantly improves PFS (median 18.7 vs. 9.4 months; HR 0.53; p < 0.0001) and OS (47.6 vs. 40.0 months; HR 0.79; p = 0.010) as well. The present review also discusses how carfilzomib is to be used in special patient groups (with renal failure and high cytogenetic risk).

• Sergei Vyacheslavovich Semochkin NI Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 1 Ostrovityanova str., Moscow, Russian Federation, 117997; Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 52, 3 Pekhotnaya str., Moscow, Russian Federation, 123182 ; ФГБОУ ВО «Российский национальный исследовательский медицинский университет им. Н.И. Пирогова» Минздрава России, ул. Островитянова, д. 1, Москва, Российская Федерация, 117997; ГБУЗ «Городская клиническая больница № 52 ДЗМ», ул. Пехотная, д. 3, Москва, Российская Федерация, 123182
• G.N. Salogub VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ им. В.А. Алмазова» Минздрава России, ул. Аккуратова, д. 2, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197341
• S.S. Bessmeltsev Russian Research Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology, 16 2-ya Sovetskaya str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 191024 ; ФГБУ «Российский НИИ гематологии и трансфузиологии ФМБА», ул. 2-я Советская, д. 16, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 191024
• K.D. Kaplanov Volgograd Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary No. 1, 78 Zemlyachki str., Volgograd, Russian Federation, 400138 ; ГБУЗ «Волгоградский областной клинический онкологический диспансер № 1», ул. Землячки, д. 78, Волгоград, Российская Федерация, 400138

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