New multiple myeloma treatments are a popular topic in the MyMyelomaTeam community. Several members are talking about a new approach called B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted therapy. This type of treatment may help people with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). RRMM is cancer that has returned or stopped responding to previous treatments. (Here, “responding” means the cancer shrank or became less active.)

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Learning about newer options can help you have better conversations with your doctor. Maybe you’ve already heard of BCMA-targeted treatments, or maybe this is your first time seeing the term. Either way, this article will explain how these drugs work and how they compare with other treatments.

What Is B-Cell Maturation Antigen?

In multiple myeloma, plasma cells develop genetic changes that cause them to become cancerous. BCMA is a protein found on nearly all multiple myeloma cells. It’s found mostly on plasma cells (including normal plasma cells) and on some mature B cells, and it’s much more common on myeloma cells than on most other tissues.

Anti-BCMA therapy is a targeted treatment that focuses mainly on destroying cancer cells, leaving most healthy cells intact.

Because BCMA is found mostly on myeloma cells and far less on most other tissues, it makes a good target for treatment. Anti-BCMA drugs are a type of immunotherapy. They help your immune system find and destroy cancer cells. Anti-BCMA therapy is a targeted treatment that focuses mainly on destroying cancer cells, leaving most healthy cells intact. This approach is very different from myeloma treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplants, and surgery.

Who Are BCMA-Targeted Therapies For?

There isn’t a cure for multiple myeloma right now, but there are treatments that can help control it. BCMA-targeted therapies are approved for adults living with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Relapsed myeloma happens when myeloma treatments work at first, but then the blood cancer returns. Refractory multiple myeloma happens when the blood cancer doesn’t respond well to treatment or stops responding.

Doctors usually recommend anti-BCMA therapies for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Each drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its own requirements as to how many prior treatments someone must have tried.

Earlier treatments often include:

• An immunomodulatory drug, such as pomalidomide (Pomalyst), lenalidomide (Revlimid), or thalidomide (Thalomid)
• A proteasome inhibitor, such as ixazomib (Ninlaro), carfilzomib (Kyprolis), or bortezomib (Boruzu, Velcade)
• An anti-CD38 drug, such as daratumumab (Darzalex) or isatuximab-irfc (Sarclisa)

Currently Approved BCMA Therapies

BCMA-targeted therapies represent newer approaches to treating myeloma. So far, the FDA has approved the following anti-BCMA therapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma:

• Belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep)
• Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti)
• Elranatamab-bcmm (Elrexfio)
• Idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma)
• Linvoseltamab-gcpt (Lynozyfic)
• Teclistamab-cqyv (Tecvayli)

The exact way these treatments are used can vary based on factors like which treatments someone has already tried and whether the drug is given alone or as part of a combination:

There are several anti-BCMA therapies approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Each treatment targets BCMA in a slightly different way:

• Belantamab mafodotin is an antibody-drug conjugate that uses an antibody to deliver a cancer-killing drug to myeloma cells.
• Idecabtagene vicleucel and ciltacabtagene autoleucel are chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies that use your own T cells, which are changed in a lab to find BCMA and kill myeloma cells.
• Teclistamab-cqyv, elranatamab-bcmm, and linvoseltamab-gcpt are bispecific antibodies, also called BiTEs. These drugs connect T cells to myeloma cells so your immune system can attack the cancer.

People sometimes receive more than one BCMA-targeted therapy, depending on their situation. Below, we’ll break down each therapy, what type it is, and what the research shows so far.

Belantamab Mafodotin-Blmf

Belantamab mafodotin-blmf is a BCMA-targeted antibody-drug conjugate. The brand name formulation Blenrep was pulled from the U.S. market in 2022, but the FDA approved it again on Oct. 23, 2025.

It’s approved in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after at least two prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug.

Blenrep works by attaching to BCMA on myeloma cells and delivering a cancer-killing drug into the cells.

Idecabtagene Vicleucel

Idecabtagene vicleucel, sold under the brand name Abecma, is a CAR T-cell therapy. It works by changing your T cells in a lab so they can find and attack BCMA on myeloma cells. CAR T-cell therapies are developed specifically for a single person and given in one infusion.

The FDA approved Abecma for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in March 2021 based on the results of clinical trials. In April 2024, the FDA expanded its approval to adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after two or more prior lines of therapy, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.

In these trials, the overall response rate (the number of people whose blood cancer went away or got partially better) for Abecma was 72 percent. The complete response rate (the number of people whose blood cancer was undetectable on tests after treatment) was 28 percent. Among those who had a complete response, about 65 percent had their response last for at least a year before myeloma appeared again. (This measure is called the duration of response.)

Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel

Ciltacabtagene autoleucel, sold under the brand name Carvykti, is another type of CAR T-cell therapy. In February 2022, the FDA approved Carvykti to treat RRMM. Later, the FDA expanded approval so some adults may use Carvykti after at least one prior treatment, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug, if their myeloma does not respond to lenalidomide.

Like Abecma, Carvykti is a CAR T-cell therapy given as a single infusion. However, Abecma binds to BCMA in one place, whereas Carvykti binds to BCMA in two places.

Carvykti was approved based on the overall response rate and duration of response in clinical trials. Carvykti’s overall response rate was 98 percent. The median duration of response was 22 months. This means that, for half of the participants, the benefits of treatment lasted longer than 22 months, while for the other half, the myeloma started to come back sooner.

Although anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapies are approved for people with RRMM, they can be hard to access. It takes time to develop these custom-made treatments, so they may not be the best option if you need treatment right away.

Teclistamab-Cqyv

Bispecific T-cell engagers are another new treatment for RRMM. BiTEs are a type of monoclonal antibody — laboratory-made proteins that work like the antibodies your body naturally uses to find and fight infections and cancer.

BiTEs like teclistamab-cqyv target myeloma in two ways. One part of the bispecific antibody binds to BCMA on the myeloma cell, and the other part binds to a nearby T cell. This connection activates the T cell’s cytotoxic (cell-killing) ability, releasing substances that destroy the myeloma cell.

In October 2022, teclistamab-cqyv (Tecvayli) became the first FDA-approved BCMA bispecific antibody for multiple myeloma. It’s approved for adults with relapsed or refractory disease who have already tried at least four other treatments, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory drug, and an anti-CD38 antibody.

The approval was based on clinical trial results showing an overall response rate of 62 percent. Tecvayli is given as a subcutaneous injection (into the fat under the skin).

Elranatamab-Bcmm

Elranatamab-bcmm, sold under the brand name Elrexfio, is a BCMA-targeting bispecific antibody. It was approved by the FDA in August 2023 for adults with RRMM who have received at least four prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. In clinical trials, Elrexfio showed an overall response rate of 58 percent.

Elrexfio is given as a subcutaneous injection. It works by binding to BCMA on myeloma tumor cells and CD3, a protein on the surface of T cells, causing myeloma cell death.

Unlike CAR T-cell therapies, BCMA bispecific antibodies don’t need to be manufactured specifically for each person. This “off-the-shelf” approach means they’re available more quickly and are generally easier to get.

Linvoseltamab-Gcpt

Approved in July 2025 under the brand name Lynozyfic, linvoseltamab-gcpt is another bispecific T-cell engager that targets BCMA. It’s approved for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have already tried at least four other treatments, including three common types of myeloma drugs: a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory drug, and an anti-CD38 antibody.

In clinical studies, the overall response rate for linvoseltamab-gcpt was 70 percent. Linvoseltamab-gcpt was granted FDA fast track and priority review status due to its promising results.

Treatments in Development

Scientists are studying additional BCMA-targeted therapies for multiple myeloma. One is P-BCMA-ALLO1. In 2024, the FDA granted this experimental drug an orphan drug designation — a special status to encourage the development of treatments for rare diseases. P-BCMA-ALLO1 is being studied for adults whose myeloma has relapsed or stopped responding to previous treatment. Early results suggest that this CAR T-cell therapy is likely safe and effective. The CAR T cells travel to the bone marrow and remain active for at least six weeks, continuing to attack cancer cells.

In early trial results presented at ASH 2025, a drug called AZD0120 had an overall response rate of 96 percent after a median follow-up of 3.9 months. In a small subgroup of participants previously treated with a BCMA-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, the response rate in that subgroup was 100 percent. That is, after about four months, nearly everyone responded. In the smaller group who had already had a BCMA-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, all participants responded.

Side Effects of BCMA-Targeted Therapies

Like all medications, including those sold over the counter, anti-BCMA therapies can cause side effects or toxicities. However, not every person will experience every side effect. Your doctor knows the specifics of your condition and can help you understand which side effects you’re more or less likely to experience.

Common Side Effects

BCMA-targeted therapies for RRMM share some common side effects and complications, including:

• Infection
• Blurry vision, dry eyes, and other eye problems (specifically with belantamab mafodotin)
• Anemia (low levels of healthy red blood cells)

Some BCMA-targeted therapies, especially CAR T-cell therapies and bispecific antibodies, can cause a potentially serious side effect called cytokine release syndrome (CRS). CRS can develop when the immune system releases too many inflammatory proteins, leading to fever, headache, and muscle and joint pains. In severe cases, it may become life-threatening.

Each anti-BCMA therapy comes with its own potential side effects. Because of the risk of serious side effects, some anti-BCMA therapies are available only through a restricted program. This program ensures people are closely monitored and get the care they need if side effects develop.

Learn More About Anti-BCMA Immunotherapy

If you or your loved one with myeloma has already tried other treatments that haven’t worked, you may be able to get BCMA-targeted immunotherapy. Ask your myeloma specialist which BCMA option fits your treatment history, how soon it might be available, and whether it could be safe and effective for you.

Read more about life expectancy with relapsed/refractory myeloma.

Join the Conversation

On MyMyelomaTeam, people share their experiences with multiple myeloma, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you tried a BCMA-targeted treatment for multiple myeloma? Let others know in the comments below.