Belantamab Mafodotin Shows Real-World Efficacy Among Patients With Heavily Pretreated Multiple Myeloma

Belantamab mafodotin demonstrated clinically meaningful activity in a real-world setting among heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM), including those with prior BCMA-targeted therapy exposure, according to study results published in Blood Neoplasia.

Previous studies have found belantamab mafodotin to be efficacious for the treatment R/R MM, however, research is limited on in a real-world setting. To address this need, researchers conducted an observational analysis of patients treated with belantamab mafodotin between 2020 and 2023.

Overall, 94 patients who received belantamab mafodotin were included, of which 51% were women and the median age of all patients was 67 years. Approximately, 61% of patients had high-risk cytogenetics and 82% were triple-class refractory. The median number of prior therapies was 6 and 18 patients received prior BCMA-targeted therapy, with a median of 9 prior lines.

The overall response rate (ORR) was 43%, with 21% achieving a very good partial response (VGPR), 17 patients achieved a partial response (PR), and 2 patients achieved a complete response (CR). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.8 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 17.2 months. The median duration of response was 10.5 months. Among patients with prior BCMA exposure, the ORR was 29%. The median PFS was 2 months, and median OS was 20.4 months (P = .86).

In terms of safety, ocular toxicity occurred in 65% of patients, of which 13 events were grade 3. Infections occurred in 18 patients, the majority of which were grade 1 or 2. 

“Belantamab mafodotin can thus be an option for heavily pretreated patients, where a lower risk of infection is favored,” the researchers concluded. 

They added, “these results are in line with previously published response rates and suggest a continued role of belantamab mafodotin, especially in light of recent combination treatment trials and alternative dosing schedules.”

Source:

Hultcrantz M, Derkach A, Hassoun H, et al. Belantamab mafodotin in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a real-world experience. Blood Neoplasia. Published online August 2025. doi:10.1016/j.bneo.2025.100103