Expanded indication for this one-time infusion will provide more patients with a potential period away from their multiple myeloma treatment as early as first relapse

Approval is based on results from the Phase 3 CARTITUDE-4 study, in which treatment with CARVYKTI® in 1-3 prior lines of therapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 59 percent compared to standard therapies

HORSHAM, PA (April 5, 2024) – Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CARVYKTI® (ciltacabtagene autoleucel; cilta-cel) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior line of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent, and are refractory to lenalidomide.1 With this approval, CARVYKTI® becomes the first and only B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted therapy approved for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma as early as first relapse.

FDA approval is based on positive results from the Phase 3 CARTITUDE-4 study, which demonstrated that the earlier use of CARVYKTI® reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 59 percent compared to standard therapies—pomalidomide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (PVd) or daratumumab, pomalidomide and dexamethasone (DPd)—in adults with relapsed and lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma who received one to three prior lines of therapy.1 The study, which was presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, also included and reported key secondary results such as overall response (OR) and overall survival (OS).1

“CARVYKTI demonstrated remarkable efficacy as a personalized, one-time infusion in the earlier treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma as shown through the CARTITUDE-4 study results,” said Binod Dhakal, M.D., Associate Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Hematology and Oncology.* “With this approval, I’m excited for patients who may have the opportunity for a treatment-free period for their multiple myeloma as early as first relapse, with the hope of eliminating the burden of having to be on continuous treatment while living with this challenging disease.”

More than 35,000 estimated new cases of multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, will be diagnosed in 2024 in the United States.2 Real-world studies show that only an estimated 15% of patients initially diagnosed with multiple myeloma are able to start a 5th line of therapy.3 With this new indication, more patients will be able to access this innovative treatment.

“This milestone underscores our commitment to improve outcomes for patients and transform the treatment of multiple myeloma with CARVYKTI,” said Jordan Schecter, M.D., Vice President, Disease Area Leader, Multiple Myeloma, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “We are proud to bring an important, highly effective immunotherapy that has demonstrated a favorable benefit/risk profile to physicians and patients for the earlier treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, and we look forward to building on this latest milestone as we continue to focus on our ultimate goal of delivering a cure for multiple myeloma.”

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https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/carvykti-is-the-first-and-only-bcma-targeted-treatment-approved-by-the-u-s-fda-for-patients-with-relapsed-or-refractory-multiple-myeloma-who-have-received-at-least-one-prior-line-of-therapy