Comprehensive assessment of adverse event profiles associated with bispecific antibodies in multiple myeloma

Abstract

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have shown promise in the management of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Despite its efficacy, this class of drugs is associated with significant toxicities. In this study, we conducted a pooled analysis of the available clinical trials on BsAbs for the treatment of MM, including full publications and abstracts until April 2025. BsAbs were classified into two groups: B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), and GPRC5D/FcRH5 BsAbs. Welch’s t-test was performed to compare the safety profiles of each agent. For clustering, we used principal component analysis (PCA). Our study analyzed 22 trials involving 2374 patients with MM from early 2023 to April 2025. Among these, 1276 patients received BCMA BsAbs, 841 treated with GPRC5D/FcRH5 BsAbs, 157 received teclistamab + talquetamab, and 65 patients received a talquetamab + daratumumab, and 35 patients received talquetamab + pomalidomide. The median follow-up for all groups was 11.83 months. Among all-grade hematologic adverse events (AEs), neutropenia occurred in 40.4%, anemia in 39.2%, thrombocytopenia in 21.4%, lymphopenia in 19.2%, infections in 45.8%, and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in 65%. For grade 3/4 AEs, infections occurred in 20.3%, CRS in 1.5%, neutropenia in 35.2%, anemia in 24.5%%, thrombocytopenia in 13.5%, and lymphopenia in 17.7%. CRS and the need for tocilizumab were significantly less frequent with BCMA BsAbs vs GPRC5D/FcRH5 BsAbs, (P < 0.002). Skillings Mack (Generalized Friedman’s) findings emphasized substantial distinctions between BCMA and GPRC5D/FcRH5×CD3 in both overall and severe grade 3/4 AEs (p ≤ 0.0002). PCA revealed agents with all grades and grade 3/4 showed similar clustering patterns except for three agents. Overall, our findings demonstrated the excellent efficacy on the use of BsAbs in MM; however, these agents have been linked to a unique AE profile. GPRC5D/FcRH5 are associated with less grade 3/4 hematologic toxicity whereas BCMA BsAbs were associated with lower grade 3/4 CRS rates, compared to GPRC5D/FcRH5. These insights are crucial for guiding treatment decisions and developing strategies to improve patient outcomes.