Relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: lines of therapy
4 standard-of-care settings across 2 lines and 2 biomarker subgroups. Rows come from the cancer page's standard of care; the grid places each on its line and subgroup.
Third line and beyond
| Subgroup | Setting | Approach | Products and trials | Guideline | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All comers | Triple-class exposed, two or more prior lines | BCMA CAR-T (cilta-cel or ide-cel, KarMMa-3) where slots and fitness allow; BCMA bispecific (teclistamab, elranatamab, linvoseltamab) otherwise; teclistamab-daratumumab (MajesTEC-3). | NCCN Guidelines: Multiple Myeloma | 82 | |
| FRα | First relapse, lenalidomide-refractory | Daratumumab or isatuximab with carfilzomib or pomalidomide and dexamethasone; belantamab mafodotin with bortezomib- or pomalidomide-dexamethasone (DREAMM-7, DREAMM-8); cilta-cel after one to three lines (CARTITUDE-4). | NCCN Guidelines: Multiple Myeloma | 91 |
Other settings
| Subgroup | Setting | Approach | Products and trials | Guideline | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All comers | After BCMA-directed therapy | Talquetamab against GPRC5D (MonumenTAL-1); selinexor combinations; CELMoDs and trispecifics in trials. | NCCN Guidelines: Multiple Myeloma | 69 | |
| All comers | Toxicity management | Step-up dosing and tocilizumab for cytokine release syndrome, immunoglobulin replacement and antimicrobial prophylaxis on bispecifics, neurological monitoring after cilta-cel, ocular examinations on belantamab. | - |
Sequence and caution pairings
When a BCMA drug stops working, switching to a drug against a different myeloma protein still produces responses in about two-thirds of patients.
Myeloma bispecifics and CAR-T suppress antibody production so profoundly that infections, not the cancer, became a leading cause of death in early trials.
Lines and subgroups are parsed from the setting text of each standard-of-care row and can misclassify an unusual phrasing; the row’s own setting is always shown. Guideline chips reflect the NCCN category and ESMO-MCBS grade recorded on the cancer page, checked on its stated date. Not medical advice.