Featuring Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Please share your name, title, and a brief overview of your professional history. 

Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD: My name is Meletios Dimopoulos. I am a professor of Hematology and Oncology at the Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. 

Please share a brief overview of the structure and purpose of this study. 

Dr Dimopoulos: The PERSEUS Trial was designed to compare a standard of care approach which included VRd induction, high-dose therapy, VRd consolidation followed by lenalidomide maintenance as the standard of care in newly diagnosed symptomatic multiple myeloma patients who were eligible for high-dose therapy. The investigational arm consisted of the same regimen as in the standard arm with the addition of the antiCD38 monoclonal antibody, daratumumab.

The main endpoint of the study was the improvement of progression-free survival with a secondary endpoint improvement of response including minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity and sustained MRD negativity.

Can you explain the significance of high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCAs) in the context of this study? 

Dr Dimopoulos: High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities are considered the most significant adverse prognostic factor in patients with multiple myeloma.

How did the inclusion of daratumumab impact outcomes?

Dr Dimopoulos: The inclusion of daratumumab improved significantly the outcome (both PFS and MRD negativity) of patients with high-risk cytogenetics as compared to the standard arm.

Were there any surprises or unexpected findings while conducting this study?

Dr Dimopoulos: There were no unexpected findings while conducting this study. The toxicity was similar between the two arms with a slightly high rate of neutropenia and infections in the daratumumab arm.

In your opinion, how important are the findings of this study in terms of advancing treatment options for patients with multiple myeloma, particularly those with high cytogenetic risk? 

Dr Dimopoulos: Patients with high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities represent an unmet need in multiple myeloma. The improved outcome of these patients in the PERSEUS Trial is highly encouraging.

What key messages would you like conference attendees of SOHO 2024 to walk away with from your research presentation? 

Dr Dimopoulos: The addition of daratumumab to the current VRD-based treatment strategy in newly diagnosed symptomatic patients with multiple myeloma is the new standard of care. Indeed, the FDA recently approved this combination.