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Multiple myeloma treatment is changing fast, and that’s good news for people living with this form of blood cancer. In the past few years, several new myeloma therapies have been approved, and older treatments are being used in new ways that may help people live longer and stay healthier.
From advanced immune-based therapies to more targeted drug combinations, today’s treatment options give doctors more ways to treat multiple myeloma at every stage.
Here’s what to know about the newest advances.
While multiple myeloma is still considered a chronic cancer, treatment advances have greatly improved outcomes over the past two decades.
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that affects plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. When these cells become cancerous, they can crowd out healthy blood cells and damage bones, kidneys, and the immune system. Even after myeloma is effectively treated, it almost always relapses (comes back) eventually.
Survival rates for multiple myeloma have steadily improved as new therapies have become available and treatment strategies have become more effective. Today, doctors have more treatment options than ever before, not only for people whose disease has come back after treatment, but also for those who are newly diagnosed and, in some cases, even for people with earlier forms of myeloma.
One of the biggest success stories in multiple myeloma treatment is daratumumab (Darzalex).
Daratumumab belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies. These are lab-made immune proteins designed to attach to specific targets on cancer cells.
Daratumumab works by attaching to a protein called CD38, which is found on the surface of myeloma cells. Once attached, it helps the immune system recognize and destroy those cancer cells.
Although daratumumab itself isn’t new, researchers continue to find new ways to use it. These newer treatment combinations are often used as part of four-drug regimens designed to produce deeper responses earlier in treatment.
The subcutaneous form of the drug, daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (Darzalex Faspro), has also made treatment easier for many people. Unlike the original intravenous (IV) version, this form is given as a quick injection under the skin, reducing time spent receiving treatment while maintaining similar effectiveness.
Expanded daratumumab combinations approved recently include use in:
These newer approvals matter because using highly effective treatments earlier may help people achieve longer remissions.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is one of the most advanced treatment approaches now available for multiple myeloma. This type of therapy uses your own T cells, a type of immune cell capable of killing cancer cells.
In CAR T-cell therapy, your T cells are collected and genetically modified in a laboratory to better recognize and attack myeloma cells. Once the modified cells are returned to the body, they more effectively target the cancer.
Until recently, CAR T-cell therapies were mainly reserved for people who had already relapsed several times and received many previous lines of treatment. That’s starting to change.
Two CAR T-cell therapies have expanded their approved use:
Both therapies target a protein called BCMA, which is commonly found on myeloma cells.
These expanded approvals are significant because they allow some people to receive CAR T-cell therapy earlier, when their disease may still be more responsive. Clinical trial data have shown that many people receiving these treatments achieve deep responses, including long periods without disease progression.
Because CAR T-cell therapy is complex and requires specialized treatment centers, it’s not the right option for everyone. Still, it represents an important advance for eligible people.
Bispecific antibodies are another major treatment advance. These immunotherapy medications work by connecting two different cells at the same time. One part attaches to a myeloma cell, while the other attaches to a T cell. This helps the immune system attack the cancer directly.
Teclistamab (Tecvayli), approved in 2022, was the first bispecific antibody for multiple myeloma. It targets BCMA and is used for adults with relapsed or refractory disease after at least four prior lines of therapy, helping pave the way for newer bispecific treatments approved since 2023.
Several important bispecific antibodies have been approved more recently:
These therapies are especially important for people whose myeloma has stopped responding to standard treatment. They have shown meaningful response rates even in those who have been heavily pretreated.
Researchers are now studying whether some of these drugs can be safely used earlier in treatment.
Antibody-drug conjugates combine targeted therapy with chemotherapy in a single medication.
These drugs use an antibody to locate myeloma cells and deliver a cancer-killing drug directly to them. This allows treatment to target cancer cells more precisely while limiting damage to healthy tissue.
Belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep) was approved in 2025 for people with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after several prior therapies. It works by targeting BCMA.
Researchers continue to study updated treatment combinations and dosing strategies involving antibody-drug conjugates, and newer antibody-drug conjugates may become available in the future.
Smoldering multiple myeloma is an early form of the disease that hasn’t yet caused symptoms. Some people with smoldering multiple myeloma will never develop active myeloma.
The standard approach to smoldering myeloma is careful monitoring rather than immediate treatment. The goal is to avoid unnecessary treatment unless the disease becomes active.
That approach may be changing for some people. In 2025, the FDA approved daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj as the first treatment indicated for adults with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma.
Recent studies suggest that earlier treatment for people with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma may delay progression to active disease.
This doesn’t mean all people with smoldering myeloma should begin treatment right away. Instead, it highlights how treatment decisions are becoming more personalized to each individual’s condition.
Some promising treatments are still being studied in clinical trials.
One important type of drug under study is called CELMoDs, short for cereblon E3 ligand modulators. These drugs work similarly to immunomodulating medications like lenalidomide, but they are designed to be more powerful and may work even when myeloma has become resistant to older treatments.
Two examples that have shown promising early results in people who have already received many lines of treatment are:
These drugs are still being studied and aren’t available outside of clinical trials, but they may eventually be considered for FDA approval.
Because multiple myeloma treatment is changing so quickly, regular conversations with your specialist are more important than ever.
New treatment approvals may offer options that weren’t available even a year or two ago. Your doctor can help determine whether a newer therapy may be a good fit based on your health history, treatment response, and personal goals.
It can help to ask questions such as:
It’s also important to share your own priorities. Be sure to tell your oncology team about side effects you’ve experienced, concerns about treatment schedules, and what matters most to you in your care.
Multiple myeloma treatment has come a long way, and new therapies continue to provide more possibilities for people living with this disease. While no single treatment is right for everyone, today’s growing list of options gives people and doctors more ways to manage multiple myeloma and plan for the future with hope.
On MyMyelomaTeam, people share their experiences with multiple myeloma, get advice, and find support from others who understand.
Have you talked with your doctor about whether one of today’s newer multiple myeloma treatments could be right for you? Let others know in the comments below.
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Can anybody underwent teclistimab protocol and how they feel? Side effects and TOLERANCE.
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I was diagnosed with MM 11 years & 5 months ago. My oncologist took me off all cancer meds for 5 months. I go back for blood work the last of April and see him the first of May. It is so nice to give… read more
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