AbbVie, IMF Team Up to Study Gene Mutation in Myeloma Outcomes

AbbVie and the International Myeloma Foundation are collaborating to study the role of a genetic mutation — the t(11;14) translocation — in multiple myeloma treatments and outcomes.

The main goal for AbbVie and IMF researchers is to determine the overall survival of 1,500 myeloma patients with a t(11;14) translocation, which is found in 16-24 percent of myeloma patients.

In genetics, a translocation is an abnormality where chromosome segments and their genes change positions. The mutation is caused by the junction of parts between different chromosomes.

The International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (ISCN) is used to denote a translocation between chromosomes. In this case, the designation t(11;14) means there is a translocation between chromosome 11 and chromosome 14.

Translocation (11;14) was found to be a standard risk prognostic marker in multiple myeloma in studies conducted before current therapies were introduced to the market.

Results from a study titled “Natural history of t(11;14) multiple myeloma,” published in the journal Leukemia, suggested that outcomes of t(11;14) myeloma are worse than other standard risk myeloma patients.

The AbbVie-IMF collaborative chart review, one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of myeloma conducted, aims to better understand how this specific translocation affects patients’ responses to treatment and their outcomes.

“There are significant knowledge gaps about multiple myeloma, and among these gaps is the role of genetic mutations in response to treatment, and the related outcomes for patients,” Brain G.M. Durie, MD, chairman of the IMF, said in a press release.

“This study has the potential to provide valuable real-world evidence that can help advance care for patients, and we are proud to join forces with AbbVie to further advance efforts in research and education in multiple myeloma,” he said.

More than 30 sites in different countries will participate in the effort to help review and characterize the outcomes of 1,500 patients with a t(11;14) translocation.

Secondary objectives of the study include measuring response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival with different treatment regimens in patients with the t(11;14) translocation.

The goal is to determine the prognosis of overall survival among myeloma patients with a t(11;14) translocation.

“The partnership with the IMF underscores our commitment to meaningfully advance the understanding of blood cancers, and continue identifying scientific approaches that have the potential to improve care for patients with multiple myeloma,” said Neil Gallagher, MD, PhD, vice president and head of global oncology development at AbbVie.

“We look forward to the findings and to continue strengthening our ongoing research efforts to provide transformative therapies for patients with multiple myeloma and other blood cancers,” Gallagher said.