Overview
- Bristol Myers presented SUCCESSOR-2 data at ASCO showing mezigdomide added to carfilzomib and dexamethasone reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 52% and extended median progression-free survival to 18 months versus 8.3 months for the control arm.
- The triplet produced higher tumor responses with an overall response rate of 80.2% versus 53.4% and complete responses in 26.7% of patients compared with 8.9% in the control group.
- Serious side effects were more common with mezigdomide: grade 3–4 adverse events occurred in 83.7% versus 56.5% of patients, neutropenia affected 61.1% versus 9.1%, and infections were 34.0% versus 15.6%; overall survival data are not yet available.
- Mezigdomide is an oral CELMoD that degrades Ikaros and Aiolos to kill myeloma cells and boost immune activity, a profile that supports use in community clinics and could position the drug as a later-line alternative to older oral agents; regulators and payers will now review the data.
- Next steps to watch are regulatory filings and health-technology reviews such as NICE in England, an upcoming FDA decision in the CELMoD class, and longer follow-up that will clarify overall survival and how the higher toxicity profile affects real-world access.