Pooled Analysis of Pomalidomide for Treating Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Background: Patients with refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma are considered to have a very poorprognosis, and new regimens are needed to improve this setting. Pomalidomide is a new immunomodulatorydrug with high in vitro potency. Immunomodulatory drugs are hypothesized to act through multiple mechanisms.Here we performed a systemic analysis to evaluate pomalidomide-based chemotherapy (pomalidomide incombination with low-dose dexamethasone) as salvage treatment for patients with refractory and relapsed multiplemyeloma.
Methods: Clinical studies evaluating the efffectiveness of pomalidomide based regimens on responseand safety for patients with refractory and relapsed multiple myeloma were identified using a predefined searchstrategy. Pooled response rate (RR) of treatment were calculated.
Results: For pomalidomide based regimens,4 clinical studies which including 291 patients with refractory and relapsed multiple myeloma were consideredeligible for inclusion. Systemic analysis suggested that, in all patients, pooled RR was 41.2% (120/291). Majoradverse effects were hematologic toxicity, including grade 1 or 2 anemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopeniawith pomalidomide based treatment. No treatment related death occurred.
Conclusion: This pooled analysissuggests that pomalidomide in combination with low-dose dexamethasone is active with good tolerability intreating patients with refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma.