AI-driven retinal biomarkers demonstrate promise in predicting 10-year myeloma risk
A study reported in the European Journal of Cancer outlined the predictive performance of RetHemo, an explainable artificial intelligence (AI) model for predicting the future risk of lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma (MM) using retinal imaging data. RetHemo, trained on pre-diagnosis fundus scans from a cohort with leukemia/lymphoma/MM from the UK BioBank, helped identify patients at high 10-year risk of developing one of these hematologic malignancies.

Applications submitted to China’s NMPA for allogeneic CAR-T therapy
Two Investigational New Drug (IND) applications have been submitted to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China, to evaluate CT0596, an allogeneic BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy, in phase 1b/2 clinical trials in relapsed/refractory MM and primary plasma cell leukemia. Data from a first-in-human phase 1 study for CT0596 were reported at the 2025 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.

Teclistamab-daratumumab to be tested in frail newly diagnosed patients
In the wake of the “outstanding results” from the phase 3 MajesTEC-3 trial and the decision of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to proactively award a national priority voucher for the combination of teclistamab and daratumumab for relapsed/refractory myeloma, the teclistamab-daratumumab combination is being evaluated in the newly diagnosed setting in the phase 2 EMN37 FITFIX study (NCT07107529). The trial includes two parallel cohorts for frail patients with newly diagnosed MM who will receive daratumumab in combination with either teclistamab or talquetamab.

On-body injector for subcutaneous isatuximab delivery offers patient convenience
Randomized studies, including the phase 3 IRAKLIA and phase 2 IZALCO trials, are evaluating the pharmacokinetics, safety, efficacy, and patient preference for isatuximab administered subcutaneously via an on-body injector (OBI), compared to a manual injection. Patients receiving isatuximab via OBI “reported experiencing numerically less discomfort, pain, and side effects, and more time savings” in IRAKLIA. Nearly three-fourths (74.5%) preferred OBI over manual injection in IZALCO, per a report published in the Blood Cancer Journal.

CORAL AI model can parse biopsy slides to identify myeloma genetic subtypes
A deep learning model intended as a research tool — Computational Radiomics for Analysis of Laser-captured cells or similar AI tool or CORAL — leverages standard bone marrow biopsy slides to identify different MM subgroups, including those with del (17p) and 1q gain.

High-fiber plant-based diet may help delay progression to myeloma
A high-fiber plant-based diet improved or stabilized the disease progression trajectory in a study that included 23 participants with myeloma precursor states and elevated BMI. These findings from the NUTRIVENTION clinical trial (NCT04920084), reported in Cancer Discovery, were recapitulated in a mouse model that mimics progression from myeloma precursor conditions to overt myeloma.