AbbVie’s experimental blood cancer therapy etentamig has delivered encouraging results in a late-stage trial involving patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
The Phase 3 CERVINO study met both of its main goals. Etentamig improved the response rate and extended the time patients lived without their disease worsening compared with standard treatments.
Etentamig Delivers Higher Response Rate
The treatment produced an objective response rate of 74% among trial participants.
By comparison, 45.7% of patients receiving standard available therapies responded to treatment.
Objective response rate measures the percentage of patients whose cancer shrinks or disappears after treatment.
The difference between the two groups was statistically significant.
Risk of Disease Progression Falls by 60%
Etentamig also showed a major benefit in progression-free survival.
The treatment reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 60% compared with standard available therapies.
The trial recorded a hazard ratio of 0.40. The benefit also appeared across all prespecified patient groups evaluated in the study.
Trial Included Heavily Treated Patients
The CERVINO trial included 393 patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Participants had already received a median of three previous lines of treatment. They had also been exposed to three major classes of therapy.
That made the results particularly important because these patients had limited treatment options.
One-Year Survival Rate Also Higher
The trial produced encouraging overall survival figures as well.
After 12 months, the estimated survival rate was 87.9% among patients receiving etentamig.
The figure stood at 72% for patients receiving standard therapies.
However, AbbVie noted that the prespecified statistical boundary for overall survival had not been crossed at the time of the analysis. Therefore, the survival findings require further follow-up.
How Etentamig Works
Etentamig is an investigational BCMA-directed T-cell engager.
The therapy is designed to bring the body’s T-cells into contact with cancer cells. T-cells play an important role in the immune system and can attack abnormal cells.
The treatment targets two proteins to help the immune system recognize and fight multiple myeloma cells.
AbbVie is studying the therapy as a potential option for patients whose disease has returned or stopped responding to earlier treatments.
Monthly Treatment Could Offer an Advantage
Etentamig also has a potentially convenient dosing schedule.
Patients receive the treatment every four weeks after an initial step-up dose.
AbbVie said the approach could allow treatment in a wider range of settings, including outpatient and community-based care.
That could distinguish the therapy from some more complex cancer treatments.
AbbVie Looks Beyond Humira
The trial results come as AbbVie works to strengthen its business beyond Humira.
Humira was once the company’s biggest-selling medicine. However, biosimilar competition has reduced its sales.
As a result, AbbVie has invested in other areas, including oncology and neuroscience.
The company is also relying heavily on newer medicines such as Skyrizi and Rinvoq to support future growth.
Analysts See Oncology Potential
The positive trial data strengthen AbbVie’s position in the competitive multiple myeloma market.
Citi analyst Geoffrey Meacham said the results add credibility to AbbVie’s oncology strategy.
However, investors continue to watch the performance of newer medicines and the company’s plans for additional acquisitions.
The commercial potential of etentamig will also depend on future regulatory decisions and additional clinical data.
Etentamig Could Complement CAR-T Therapy
Etentamig is not necessarily positioned as a direct replacement for CAR-T treatments.
Instead, analysts see potential for the drug to complement existing options.
Its monthly dosing and broader treatment access could make it useful for patients who need an alternative to more complex therapies.
That distinction could become important as competition grows in the multiple myeloma treatment market.
Full Trial Results Coming Soon
The latest figures are topline results from the CERVINO study.
AbbVie plans to present the full findings at the 23rd International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting in Glasgow later this month.
More detailed data should provide additional information about the treatment’s safety, effectiveness and long-term benefits.
What the Results Mean for AbbVie
The CERVINO results give AbbVie another potential growth opportunity as the company expands its oncology portfolio.
For patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, the findings also offer hope for another treatment option.
Still, etentamig remains an investigational therapy. The latest results do not mean the drug is approved for routine use.
Further data and regulatory review will determine whether AbbVie’s blood cancer therapy eventually reaches patients outside clinical trials.
