Real-World Use of 3rd Line Therapy for Multiple Myeloma in Austria: An Austrian Myeloma Registry (AMR) Analysis of the Therapeutic Landscape and Clinical Outcomes prior to the Use of Next Generation Myeloma Therapeutics

OBJECTIVE: Clinical trials demonstrate improving survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) after treatment. However, it is unclear whether increased survival translates to a similar benefit in a real world setting. METHODS: We analyzed the overall survival of 347 multiple myeloma patients in Austria by means of a national registry (AMR), focused on results from 3(rd) and later lines of therapy. This benchmark was chosen to define a baseline prior to the broad application of upcoming 2(nd) generation drugs (carfilzomib, pomalidomide). RESULTS: Projected 10 years survival for patients with MM in Austria is estimated to be 56% in patients diagnosed in between the years 2011–2014, 21% in patients with a diagnosis made between 2000–2005, and 39% in those with a diagnosis made between 2006–2010). For the same intervals a significant increase in the use of both bortezomib, lenalidomide and thalidomide—so called IMiDs (from 2005 onwards) and their simultaneous use in combination therapies (from 2010 onwards) could be shown. The use of autologous transplantation (ASCT) remained more or less constant at ~ 35% of patients in the 1(st) line setting over the whole period, comparing well to international practice patterns, while the use of 2(nd) line ASCT increased from 5.5% to 18.7% of patients. Patients in 3(rd) or later line treatment (n = 105), showed that even in relapsed and refractory disease median survival was 27 months with a considerable proportion of long-term survivors (~20%). CONCLUSION & PERSPECTIVE: With the expected emergence of additional active anti-myeloma compounds, we aim to assess survival in patients with relapsed and refractory MM.