Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Novel immunotherapies recently approved in the U.S. for treatment (tx) of multiple myeloma (MM) include chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR-Ts) and bispecific antibodies (BsAbs). In this study, we evaluated sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of recipients of novel tx for MM in the real-world (RW) U.S. setting.
METHODS: This retrospective observational study included pts with MM who received a novel tx from March 2021 to October 2024 from the PurpleLab open claims database. Index date was CAR-T infusion day or day 1 of the first BsAb tx cycle. All pts had ≥1 claim for a CAR-T/BsAb tx including idecabtagene vicleucel, ciltacabtagene autoleucel, teclistamab, talquetamab, or elranatamab, and continuous enrollment ≥90 days before and after index date.
RESULTS: Of the 2,442 pts included, 61% received BsAbs and 39% received CAR-Ts. Pts receiving CAR-Ts were younger than pts receiving BsAbs (66 vs. 71 years, respectively). The percentage of BsAb pts treated in a rural setting was almost double that of CAR-T pts (25% vs. 13%). Among pts who received a novel tx, approximately 11% were African American, while 63% were White. Additionally, the proportion of BsAb pts who had Medicare and/or Medicaid was significantly higher than CAR-T pts (58% vs. 51%). Compared to BsAb pts, a significantly greater proportion of CAR-T pts had a college education or higher (42% vs. 33%). Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index score was significantly higher for BsAb vs. CAR-T pts (4.6 vs. 3.9). Overall median time to treatment initiation for any novel tx was approximately 85 days.
CONCLUSIONS: Descriptively, these results suggest important differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among pts who received novel tx for MM. Uptake of BsAbs was higher compared to CAR-Ts, indicating greater tx accessibility for BsAbs. This warrants further investigation into barriers to access and strategies to potentially ameliorate existing health disparities in U.S. MM pts.