GSK's Blood Cancer Drug Shows Improved Survival Compared To Johnson & Johnson's Darzalex

On Monday, GSK plc GSK announced statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall survival (OS) results from a planned interim analysis of the DREAMM-7 trial.

The trial assessed Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) in combination with bortezomib plus dexamethasone (BVd) versus Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ Darzalex (daratumumab) in combination with bortezomib plus dexamethasone (DVd) as a second line or later treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

These data were featured at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition.

With a median follow-up of 39.4 months, the analysis presented shows a statistically significant 42% reduction in the risk of death among patients receiving the Blenrep combination (n=243) versus the Darzalex arm (n=251) (HR 0.58).

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Although the median overall survival (mOS) was not reached in either arm of the study, the projected mOS for BVd is 84 months compared to 51 months for the Darzalex combo arm.

The three-year overall survival rate was 74% in the Blenrep combination arm and 60% in the daratumumab combination arm.

The survival benefit favoring Blenrep over Darzalex was seen as early as four months and was sustained over time.

The Blenrep combination also showed statistically significant superiority over the Darzalex combination on the key secondary endpoint of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity (no detectable cancer cells).

The greater than 2.5-fold improvement in the rate of MRD negativity seen at the time of the primary analysis for patients who received BVd can now be declared statistically significant after the positive overall survival readout based on the predefined testing procedure.

In addition to OS and MRD negativity, the Blenrep combination resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in all key secondary efficacy endpoints compared to the daratumumab combination, including duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival.

Eye-related side effects, a known risk of treatment with Blenrep, were generally manageable and resolvable with dose modification and led to a low (10%) treatment discontinuation rate.

Price Action: GSK stock was down 1.77% at $35.35 at the last check on Tuesday.

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