Multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease, with a large proportion of patients in the relapsed/refractory setting often unable to achieve durable responses. Novel, well-tolerated and highly effective therapies in this patient population represent an unmet need. Preclinical studies have shown that B-cell maturation antigen is nearly exclusively expressed on normal and malignant plasma cells, thereby identifying it as a highly selective target for immunotherapeutic approaches. Belantamab mafodotin (GSK2857916, belamaf) is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate directed at B-cell maturation antigen and has shown promising activity in clinical trials. In this review, we provide an overview of belantamab mafodotin as a compound and present the available clinical efficacy and safety data in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
Keywords: B-cell maturation antigen; GSK2857916; antibody–drug conjugate; belamaf; belantamab mafodotin; immunotherapy; multiple myeloma.