The Anti-CD38 Antibody Therapy in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second-most common hematologic malignancy after diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Despite the improvement in response and survival rates following the introduction of novel therapies, only a few patients are cured, and the majority of MM patients experience several relapses and receive multiple lines of treatment. Currently, bortezomib and lenalidomide are the core component of treatment both at the time of diagnosis and at the relapse as well as the new proteasome inhibitors (PIs), such as carfilzomib and ixazomib, and the next-generation immunomodulatory drug, pomalidomide, are now available for patients in relapse. In addition, drugs with a different mechanism of action, such as the histone deacetylase inhibitor and the monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) targeting SLAMF7 or CD38, are a part of the anti-myeloma armamentarium and are very important for heavily pretreated or double refractory to a PI and IMiD patients. In this paper, we focus on the efficacy as well as toxicities of CD38 antibodies used both as a single agent and in combination as multiple myeloma treatment.