It is such an exciting time in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. What was highlighted in the presentation was the changing landscape of this setting of patients. We now have four bispecific antibodies and two CAR T-cell therapies that are approved for the treatment of relapsed refractory disease. Interestingly, the CAR-T cells are now even moving earlier in lines of treatment. Initially, they were approved after four prior lines of treatment, and now even moving earlier, which I think has been a great benefit to our patients.
The four bispecific antibodies are also a great option, with impressive response rates and progression-free intervals, that have really revolutionized this somewhat concerning a group of patients. We know that relapsed/refractory myeloma, once being refractory to the three main classes of drugs, which are proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulating agents, and anti-CD38 antibodies has really been a poor prognosis, but this has really been game-changing for these newer therapies in this later setting of treatment.
The other thing that I find so exciting is just how the role of the advanced practice provider has stepped in and become a lead in not only managing these potential toxicities with these immunotherapies that were discussed, but also how to monitor them, and it has really become, even though initially many of these patients required admission for close observation as they were initiating these treatments, they are now being conducted as an outpatient in many places. Solely run clinics by APPs. And so, it's a great role that APPs are playing in this population of patients, and I'm just so excited to be part of it and to witness over the years how patients are doing so well.
One of the things highlighted in the presentation was infection, and that is a long-term issue that we've seen in many of these treatments that we're providing for our patients with relapsed/refractory disease. And what I loved was the understanding of the use of IVIG, monitoring IgG levels to really impact on the incidence of infection. The liberal use of antibiotics, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, have been very essential and helpful.
And finally, the understanding of [how] to prevent infection is really altering the schedule of some of the bispecific therapies once responding, extending out that schedule to, instead of weekly, to every other week, every three weeks. And I think that has made our patients tolerate these therapies better and safely receive them without many side effects.
