OBJECTIVES: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a rare haematological malignancy. Over the past decade, various new therapeutic options have become available, including proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and monoclonal antibodies (e.g. anti-CD38). These therapies have significantly improved outcomes, however MM remains an incurable disease. Given the increasing availability of these new treatments, this analysis aimed to estimate the number of symptomatic MM patient exposed to a PI, IMiD and anti-CD38 antibody across the EU28, in 2020 and the in the following 5 years.

METHODS: An epidemiological model was developed in MS Excel. MM patients were considered from 2010. Patients who met the study criteria were aggregated for 2020 and for the next 5 years annually. Country-specific population data and incidence rates were obtained from EUROSTAT and GLOBOCAN, respectively. Survival and treatment pattern data were derived from a targeted literature review.

RESULTS: Using incidence and mortality data from the years 2010-2020, the estimated number of total symptomatic MM patients in the EU28 countries in 2020 was 203,705 (38% aged <65). The estimated number of incident symptomatic patients from 2021 to 2025 ranged from 36,516to 38,234 (25-26% aged <65). Estimations on the number of patients exposed to a PI, IMiD and anti-CD38 antibody varied across the EU28 countries in the study period. This variation can be partially explained by the fact that the reimbursement of an anti-CD38 antibody was only granted recently in European countries.

CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes for patients who have previously received treatment with PI, IMiD and anti-CD38 still remain poor and for them new therapeutic options are needed. Our model predicted the number of patients in the EU28 who have already been exposed to a PI, IMiD and anti-CD38 antibody in 2020 and the size of this population over the coming years.