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Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Chemical Inactivation of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Cereblon by Pomalidomide-based Homo-PROTACs
Published on: May 15, 2019
A comparative study of cyclophosphamide, thalidomide and dexamethasone (CTD) versus bortezomib and dexamethasone
Baojian Liu1, Yan Wang2, Xiaoxuan Ning3
1Department of Nephrology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Background:
Cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone (CTD) or bortezomib and dexamethasone (BDex) show substantial efficacy in patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, especially in Chinese patients. Currently, both regimens are recommended as primary treatment options for AL amyloidosis, but no comparative study has been reported.
Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 81 AL patients who received CTD (n = 42) or BDex (n = 39) and used Mayo stage 2012 to match 26 pairs of patients.
Results:
In the whole cohort, the overall hematologic responses were 86% vs 91% in the CTD and BDex groups, including a complete response of 56% vs 71% based on an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. One- and 2-year overall survival (OS) was 90.2% and 81.7% with CTD, and 87.6% and 82.7% with BDex. After matching, BDex regimen induced a significantly deeper and more rapid hematologic response over CTD, but no statistically significant difference in OS (ITT analysis, P = 0.24; 6-month landmark analysis, P = 0.48). Cardiac response rates were similar, while there was a trend for higher renal responses in patients treated with BDex (68% vs 44%, P = 0.09). Additionally, BDex was associated with significantly improved survival in patients with advanced disease (Mayo stage III or worse; P = 0.009). Patients treated with BDex reported more episodes of severe hematologic toxicity and diarrhea.
Conclusions:
CTD and BDex are effective treatments for Chinese patients with AL amyloidosis, but BDex regimen appears superior to CTD in achieving a more rapid and deeper clonal response, and in improving OS in patients with advanced disease.

