What is multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell in your bone marrow. These cancerous cells crowd out healthy blood cells and can damage bones, kidneys, and other organs. It's the second most common blood cancer in adults. While treatments have improved significantly in recent years, there's still a need for more effective options for patients whose cancer returns or doesn't respond to initial treatments.

What are bispecific antibodies like Lynozyfic?

Bispecific antibodies are engineered proteins that can bind to two different targets at the same time. In cancer treatment, they typically work by connecting cancer cells to immune cells (usually T cells). This brings the immune cells close to the cancer cells and activates them to attack. Lynozyfic and similar drugs target a protein called BCMA found on myeloma cells, while simultaneously engaging T cells, essentially creating a bridge that helps the immune system recognize and destroy the cancer.

What is CAR-T cell therapy?

CAR-T therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy) is a type of treatment that takes a patient's own immune cells and modifies them in a lab to better recognize and fight cancer. Scientists add a special receptor (the CAR) to these T cells that helps them find specific proteins on cancer cells. The modified cells are then returned to the patient's body where they can multiply and attack the cancer. For multiple myeloma, many CAR-T therapies target the BCMA protein, similar to bispecific antibodies, but using a different approach.

Why do cancer drugs have such high pricing power?

Cancer drugs, especially breakthrough treatments, command high prices for several reasons. First, they address serious, life-threatening conditions with significant unmet medical needs. Second, developing these drugs requires enormous investment in research, clinical trials, and specialized manufacturing. For blood cancer therapies like those for multiple myeloma, the complex technologies involved (like engineered antibodies or cell therapies) add to costs. Additionally, these treatments often deliver remarkable results for patients who have few other options, which healthcare systems and insurers are willing to pay for because of the value they provide.

What does "BCMA-targeted" mean in cancer treatment?

BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen) is a protein found primarily on plasma cells and especially on multiple myeloma cells. When treatments are described as "BCMA-targeted," it means they're designed to specifically recognize and bind to this protein. This targeting approach helps the treatments distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells, potentially reducing side effects while effectively attacking the cancer. Many of the newest multiple myeloma therapies, including bispecific antibodies and CAR-T cell therapies, use BCMA as their target, making it a central focus in current blood cancer research.

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Updated 2 days ago | Published at जुलाई 3