Safety and Cost Benefits of the Rapid Daratumumab Infusion Protocol

Daratumumab is approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma in both frontline and relapsed/refractory settings. Its major limitation is the long infusion time, especially with the first dose. Recent data demonstrated the feasibility of infusing daratumumab at an accelerated rate of 90 minutes starting from cycle 1 on day 15. Herein, we report the safety profile and cost associated with rapid daratumumab infusion protocol.

A chart review was performed to identify patients who completed at least 1 cycle of daratumumab (single agent or in combination) from April 2016 to October 2018. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts: cohort 1 received rapid daratumumab infusion after its implementation in March 2018, whereas cohort 2 included patients treated with daratumumab administered at the standard rate. The primary endpoint was to compare differences in rates of infusion-related reactions (IRRs). An Excel (Microsoft)-based model was developed to estimate cost and productivity.

A total of 100 patients with relapsed/refractory disease were included in this study (53 in cohort 1 and 47 in cohort 2). Of the 53 patients in cohort 1, 18 (34%) received rapid daratumumab infusion starting with cycle 1. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in rates of IRRs between cohort 1 and 2 (1.9% vs. 4.3%, P = .59); 1 patient in cohort 1 developed an IRR. The total costs estimated for a 52-week regimen of daratumumab infused at standard and rapid rates were $137,200 and $122,200 (P < .001), respectively.

Our findings indicate that rapid daratumumab infusion is safe and tolerable and provides cost savings for patients with relapsed/refractory disease.