New Drug Beats Standard Care for Relapsed Blood Cancer, Trial Finds

The New England Journal of Medicine (@NEJM) posted the results of the MajesTEC-9 trial, a phase 3 study examining teclistamab — a targeted antibody treatment — in patients whose multiple myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow) had returned after earlier treatment. The trial found that teclistamab improved 18-month progression-free survival, meaning more patients were still alive without their disease worsening at the 18-month mark, compared with those receiving standard therapy.

The results come with a clear safety caveat. Grade 3 or 4 infections — the more serious end of the severity scale — were common among patients receiving the drug. Because of this, the trial recommended that patients be given antimicrobial prophylaxis (preventive antibiotics and antifungal medicines) alongside immune globulin support, which helps strengthen the body’s ability to fight infection when its own defences are weakened.

Multiple myeloma is not a rare condition. It’s the second most common blood cancer in the UK, according to the NHS, and relapsed disease — where the cancer returns after responding to initial treatment — remains difficult to manage. Teclistamab works by directing the immune system to attack myeloma cells directly.

The full MajesTEC-9 trial results have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Patients with questions about their own treatment should speak to their haematology team or contact NHS 111 for guidance on next steps.