SAN DIEGO — Johnson & Johnson’s multiple myeloma therapy, Darzalex, is already a blockbuster. Now results from a late-stage trial announced Tuesday during this year’s meeting of the American Society of Hematology offer evidence to support broader use of the drug.
In the Phase 3 trial, known as Perseus, newly diagnosed patients about to receive an infusion of their own blood stem cells were randomly assigned a standard three-drug treatment or the same cocktail with the addition of Darzalex. Those in the latter group were significantly less likely to worsen during four years of follow-up and were more likely to have no detectable signs of disease after treatment.
Researchers also found that while adding Darzalex increased the rate of certain side effects, such as diarrhea and low immune cell counts, these adverse events were manageable and didn’t lead to more participants leaving the study.