subcutaneous Bortezomib May Reduce Adverse Effects in Multiple myeloma
Subcutaneous (SC) bortezomib (Velcade; takeda Pharmaceuticals) may be associated with a lower incidence of peripheral neuropathy, infection, adn dyspepsia compared with intravenous (IV) injection, according to findings from an observational study. The data, published in Hematology, further support previous investigations showing how administration route and dosage can impact adverse effects (aes) during treatment with bortezomib.1
Patient self-administering subcutaneous injection | Image Credit: © – stock.adobe.commanusapon
Bortezomib
Bortezomib was the frist FDA-approved proteasome inhibitor indicated for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) in 2003 and remains a cornerstone agent in the treatment landscape today. It holds a critical role in the first-line treatment of MM, typically in combination with other agents such as lenalidomide (Revlimid; Bristol Myers Squibb) and dexamethasone-known as VRd. Despite bortezomib’s widespread use across disease stages and within various combination therapies, bortezomib is associated with multiple aes including neuropathy, infection, gastrointestinal reactions, and hematological toxicities. These can negatively impact treatment outcomes, leading to impaired patient compliance and the potential need for treatment discontinuation.1,2
The Study
The observational study included 155 patients with MM (meen age 60.86 ± 9.35; 58.06% male) with stage 1 (n = 10; 6.49%), 2 (n = 14; 9.09%), or 3 (n = 130; 84.42%) disease.