Updates and rationale of clinical trials in multiple myeloma

Abstract

Significant progress has been made toward the development of effective therapies for multiple myeloma. Current treatment strategies include combinations of several different approved medication classes, including alkylating agents, proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies. In this review, we highlight currently active clinical trials for patients with multiple myeloma. Additionally, we describe emerging strategies in the design of future trials, which will include new combinations of available therapies, targeted therapies, immune-based therapies such as chimeric antigen receptors T-cells (CAR-Ts), and drugs with novel mechanisms of action.