A Study of Melphalan Flufenamide (Melflufen) Plus Dexamethasone in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (HORIZON)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02963493 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : November 15, 2016
Results First Posted : February 1, 2022
Last Update Posted : November 22, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Multiple Myeloma | Drug: Melphalan flufenamide (Melflufen) Drug: Dexamethasone | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 157 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Single Arm, Open-Label, Phase 2 Study of Melflufen in Combination With Dexamethasone in Patients With Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma Who Are Refractory to Pomalidomide and/or an Anti-CD38 Monoclonal Antibody |
Actual Study Start Date : | December 28, 2016 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | October 22, 2020 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | November 16, 2021 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: melphalan flufenamide (melflufen) + dexamethasone
Melphalan flufenamide (melflufen) 40 mg Day 1 and dexamethasone 40 mg (20 mg for patients 75 years or older) on Days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of each 28-day cycle.
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Drug: Melphalan flufenamide (Melflufen)
Other Name: Pepaxto Drug: Dexamethasone IV dexamethasone may be substituted for oral dexamethasone in the US. Oral only in Europe. |
- Overall Response Rate (ORR) [ Time Frame: Patients were followed until documented progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient/physician decision to withdraw or date of death, whichever came first. Longest time to response in study recorded as 15.3 months. Longest time on treatment 35 months. ]The overall response rate (ORR) will be estimated as the percentage of patients who achieve sCR, CR, VGPR, or PR as their best response as assessed by the investigator. Response assessed by IMWG (International myeloma working group) criteria sCR-stringent complete response: CR plus Normal FLC (free light chain) ratio and absence of clonal cells in BM CR-complete response: Negative immunofixation in serum/urine; Disappearance of soft tissue plasmacytomas; <5% plasma cells in BM; If only FLC disease, normal FLC ratio (0.26-1.65) VGPR-very good partial response: Serum/urine M-protein detectable by immunofixation but not electrophoresis or ≥90% reduction in serum M-protein and urine M-protein <100 mg/24 h; If only FLC disease, >90% decrease in the difference between involved and uninvolved FLC levels PR-partial response: 50% reduction of serum M-protein and soft tissue plasmacytomas, ≥90% reduction in urinary M-protein or to <200 mg/24 h; other special cases if M-protein unmeasurable
- Progression Free Survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: Patients were followed until documented progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient/physician decision to withdraw or date of death, whichever came first. Longest follow-up time for PFS recorded as 37.2 months at study end. ]Time from start of treatment to either progression or death, whichever comes first as assessed by the investigator using IMWG criteria. Progression of disease is defined by an increase of 25% from the lowest response for either of Serum M-component (absolute increase of ≥ 0.5 g/dL) or Urine M-component (absolute increase of ≥200 mg/ 24h); In patients without measurable M-protein a 25% increase in the difference between involved and uninvolved FLC (free light chain) levels (absolute increase must be >10 mg/dL); If unmeasurable FLC levels, a 25% increase in bone marrow plasma cell percentage (absolute percentage must be >10%); New bone or soft tissue plasmacytomas or definite increase in existing ones; Development of hypercalcemia (corrected serum calcium >11.5 mg/dL) that can be attributed solely to the plasma cell proliferative disorder
- Duration of Response [ Time Frame: From date of response until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first. Longest time of response recorded as 36.2 months at study end. ]Time from first response to progression based on investigator assessment. See definitions of response and progression in ORR and PFS outcomes.
- Overall Survival [ Time Frame: From date of first dose of study medication until the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 24 months after study drug discontinuation. ]Time from start of treatment to death
- Functional Status and Well-being: EORTC QLQ-C30 [ Time Frame: To be assessed prior to dosing at Cycle 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and End of Treatment. 23 patients were ongoing for QoL assessments at data cutoff. QoL was added in Protocol Amendment 4 beginning in Oct. 2018. ]Change from baseline in Patient Reported Outcome questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30. The EORTC QLQ-C30 includes 30 items resulting in 5 functional scales, 1 Global Health Status scale, 3 symptom scales, and 6 single items. The recall period is 1 week (the past week). The scales are transformed to a 0 (worst) to 100 (best) scale. The QLQ-C30 summary score is calculated as the mean of the combined 13 QLQ-C30 scale and item scores (excluding global QoL and financial impact), with a higher score indicating a better HRQoL. If at least 50% of the items from the scale had been answered, the missing items were assumed to have values equal to the average of those items which were present for that respondent.
- Functional Status and Well-being: EQ-5D-3L [ Time Frame: To be assessed prior to dosing at Cycle 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and End of Treatment. 23 patients were ongoing for QoL assessments at data cutoff. QoL was added in Protocol Amendment 4 beginning in Oct. 2018. ]Change from baseline in Patient Reported Outcome questionnaire EQ-5D-3L. The EQ-5D-3L questionnaire converts 5 dimensions: Mobility, Self-Care, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort, and Anxiety/Depression of patient-reported, current-day health status into a "health utility" score. For the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, each dimension is scored on an ordinal scale with 3 available levels of response and scores ranging from 1 to 3, "no problems," "some problems," and "extreme problems," respectively. The EQ VAS scores rates "health today" with anchors ranging from 0 (worst imaginable health state) to 100 (best imaginable health state). No imputation of missing items or composite scores were done. The scores for the 5 dimensions are used to compute a single utility score ranging from zero (0.0) to 1 (1.0) representing the general health status of the individual.
- Clinical Benefit Rate [ Time Frame: Patients were followed until documented progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient/physician decision to withdraw or date of death, whichever came first. Longest time on study treatment recorded as 35.0 months at study end. ]The clinical benefit rate (CBR) will be estimated as the percentage of patients who achieve sCR, CR, VGPR, PR, or MR as their best response as assessed by the investigator. See Primary Outcome (ORR) for definitions of response categories.
- Time to Response [ Time Frame: From start of treatment to first confirmed response. Longest time to response in study recorded as 15.3 months. ]Duration from start of treatment to the first occurrence of a confirmed response of PR or better as assessed by the investigator. See definitions of response in Primary Outcome (ORR).
- Time to Progression [ Time Frame: From start of treatment to first evidence of disease progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first. Longest time to progression recorded was 37.2 months at study end. ]Duration from start of treatment to first evidence of disease progression as assessed by the investigator. See definitions of response and progression in ORR and PFS outcomes.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male or female, age 18 years or older
- A prior diagnosis of multiple myeloma with documented disease progression
- Measurable disease based on either of a) serum monoclonal protein by protein electrophoresis (SPEP), b) monoclonal protein in the urine on 24-hour urine electrophoresis (UPEP), and/or c) serum immunoglobulin free light chain combined with abnormal serum immunoglobulin kappa to lambda free light chain ratio
- A minimum of 2 prior lines of therapy including an IMiD and a PI and is refractory to pomalidomide and/or daratumumab
- Life expectancy of ≥ 6 months
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2
- Female of child bearing potential (FCBP) and non-vasectomized male agree to practice appropriate methods of birth control
- Ability to understand the purpose and risks of the study and provide signed and dated informed consent and authorization to use protected health information
- 12-lead ECG with QTc interval within defined limit
- Acceptable laboratory results during screening and prior to first study drug administration of the following parameters: absolute neutrophil count (ANC), platelet count, hemoglobin, total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST/SGOT) and alanine transaminase (ALT/SGPT), renal function based on estimated creatinine clearance
- Must have, or accept to have, an acceptable central catheter for infusion of melflufen
Exclusion Criteria:
- Evidence of mucosal or internal bleeding and/or is platelet transfusion refractory
- Any medical conditions that, in the Investigator's opinion, would impose excessive risk to the patient or would adversely affect his/her participating in this study
- Known active infection requiring parenteral or oral anti-infective treatment within defined period
- Primary refractory disease
- Other malignancy diagnosed or requiring treatment within the defined period with specific exceptions
- Pregnant or breast-feeding females
- Serious psychiatric illness, active alcoholism, or drug addiction that may hinder or confuse compliance or follow-up evaluation
- Known HIV or active hepatitis B or C viral infection
- Concurrent symptomatic amyloidosis or plasma cell leukemia
- POEMS syndrome [plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal protein (M-protein) and skin changes]
- Previous cytotoxic therapies, including cytotoxic investigational agents, for multiple myeloma within defined values prior to start of study treatment
- Residual side effects to previous therapy over specific grade prior to initiation of therapy
- Prior autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplant within defined period of initiation of therapy
- Prior allogeneic stem cell transplant with active graft-versus-host- disease (GVHD).
- Prior major surgical procedure or radiation therapy within specified period of the first dose of study treatment (with defined exception).
- Known intolerance to steroid therapy

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02963493

Study Chair: | Johan Harmenberg, MD, PhD | Oncopeptides AB |
Documents provided by Oncopeptides AB:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Oncopeptides AB |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02963493 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
OP-106 |
First Posted: | November 15, 2016 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | February 1, 2022 |
Last Update Posted: | November 22, 2022 |
Last Verified: | November 2022 |
relapsed refractory multiple myeloma |
Multiple Myeloma Neoplasms, Plasma Cell Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Hemostatic Disorders Vascular Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Paraproteinemias Blood Protein Disorders Hematologic Diseases Hemorrhagic Disorders Lymphoproliferative Disorders Immunoproliferative Disorders Immune System Diseases Dexamethasone |
Melphalan Anti-Inflammatory Agents Antiemetics Autonomic Agents Peripheral Nervous System Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Gastrointestinal Agents Glucocorticoids Hormones Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal Antineoplastic Agents Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating Alkylating Agents Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action |