Johnson & Johnson announced the submission of regulatory applications to the FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval of a new indication for DARZALEX FASPRO® (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) in the U.S. and DARZALEX® subcutaneous (SC) formulation in the European Union (EU). The applications are supported by data from the ongoing Phase 3 AQUILA study (NCT03301220) of DARZALEX FASPRO® as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma.
Smoldering multiple myeloma is an early precursor of active multiple myeloma, where abnormal cells can be detected in the bone marrow, but patients are typically asymptomatic. Fifteen percent of all cases of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma are classified as smoldering multiple myeloma, and half of those diagnosed with high-risk disease will progress to active multiple myeloma within two years. Currently, smoldering multiple myeloma is not generally treated until active multiple myeloma develops. Instead, the standard approach is observation to track the disease for signs of biochemical progression and/or end organ damage, when treatment tends to be initiated.2 Recent evidence suggests that those at high-risk for progression to active multiple myeloma could benefit from earlier therapeutic intervention.
"There remains an unmet need for early interventions and treatments that are both effective and well tolerated in people living with smoldering multiple myeloma at high-risk of progressing to active multiple myeloma," said Yusri Elsayed, M.D., M.H.Sc., Ph.D. Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Innovative Medicine, Johnson & Johnson. "DARZALEX has changed the standard of care in multiple myeloma, and with these submissions to the FDA and EMA, this therapy could become the first approved treatment for patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma, potentially shifting the treatment paradigm."
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