GSK PLC on Thursday said its Blenrep drug has shown overall survival benefits in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, the third most common type of blood cancer.

The London-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm said Blenrep, or belantamab mafodotin, met the key secondary endpoint of overall survival in the Dreamm-7 phase 3 trial evaluating the drug in combination with bortezomib plus dexamethasone, or BorDex.

The trial found that belantamab mafodotin combined with BorDex ‘significantly’ reduced the risk of death in patients when compared to the standard treatment of care daratumumab combined with BorDex.

Hesham Abdullha, senior vice president & global head of oncology, research & development for GSK, said: ‘The overall survival results from the Dreamm-7 trial underscore the potential for this Blenrep combination to extend the lives of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. This is a statistically significant and clinically meaningful advancement for patients and potentially transformative for treatment.’

Multiple myeloma is generally considered treatable, but not curable. There are more than 180,000 new cases diagnosed globally every year.

GSK will present the full results from the trial at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting in December.

The firm is due to begin a phase 3 study into newly diagnosed transplant ineligible multiple myeloma by the end of 2024, as part of the Dreamm trial programme.

Shares in GSK were down 0.2% at 1,359.00 pence each in London on Thursday morning.

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