Treatment pathways and disease journeys differ before and after introduction of novel agents in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma in Taiwan

Limited real-world data are available regarding treatment practices and outcomes of multiple myeloma (MM) in Asia. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Taiwan National Healthcare Insurance Research database and Taiwan Death Registry and used a Markov model to describe disease progression and outcomes in 4092 patients newly diagnosed with MM from 01-Jan-2007 to 31-Dec-2015. We observed marked differences in the characteristics, length and outcome of the clinical journey between patients who did/did not receive autologous stem cell transplant, and between patients initiated on novel agents versus other treatment regimens. In transplant recipients, initiation with combined thalidomide + bortezomib increased over time (12.2–77.5%). Progression-free survival after first-line treatment improved and a lower percentage of patients died. Lenalidomide in second and third-line regimens increased (15.5–31.5%). In non-transplanted patients, initiation with novel agents increased (17.5–54.6%), but death rates remained high (60.3%). The treatment landscape of MM in Taiwan has evolved, with increased use of combined bortezomib + thalidomide for first-line and lenalidomide for second/third-line but many patients die before receiving second-line treatment. Novel agents with different modes of action should be used as early as possible to maximize their benefits. Improved MM treatments remains a critical medical need.