Antibody Therapy Eliminated Residual Multiple Myeloma in Early ASH 2025 Trial
- camilarosiaz
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
An immune-based antibody therapy eliminated residual traces of multiple myeloma in patients enrolled in a preliminary clinical trial led by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Interim results were presented on December 6, 2025, at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting in Orlando.
Image resource Depositphotos.
In the phase 2 study, none of the 18 patients who completed up to six treatment cycles with linvoseltamab showed detectable disease on highly sensitive tests. The findings suggested the bispecific antibody could help some patients avoid bone marrow transplants, which typically require high-dose chemotherapy and carry significant side effects.
The research was led by Dickran Kazandjian, M.D., a Sylvester physician and professor in the Miller School’s Myeloma Division, in collaboration with C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sylvester Myeloma Institute. The trial focused on patients who remained minimal residual disease (MRD) positive after standard combination therapy—meaning small numbers of cancer cells persisted beyond the reach of conventional testing.
Multiple myeloma originates in plasma cells, a type of antibody-producing immune cell, and currently has no established cure. Advanced genetic testing at Sylvester allowed physicians to detect as few as one cancer cell among one million healthy cells, making MRD status a critical marker of long-term outcomes. Patients who test MRD negative typically experience longer periods without disease recurrence.
Linvoseltamab works by binding simultaneously to CD3 on T cells and BCMA on myeloma cells, bringing immune cells into direct contact with cancer cells and amplifying the body’s immune response. While some participants experienced manageable side effects such as neutropenia and upper respiratory infections, no patients developed serious immune-related complications during the trial.
Encouraged by the early results, researchers expanded enrollment from 25 to 50 participants to further evaluate whether the therapy could provide long-term disease control, potentially functioning as an alternative to transplant-based treatment.
Additional updates on this research were shared via the InventUM blog and on @SylvesterCancer.