Daratumumab, sold under the brand name Darzalex among others, is an anti-cancer monoclonal antibody medication. It binds to CD38, which is overexpressed in multiple myeloma cells. Daratumumab was originally developed by Genmab, but it is now being jointly developed by Genmab along with the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Biotech, which acquired worldwide commercialization rights to the drug from Genmab.
Read the full article on WikipediaRelapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma Clinical criteria: Treatment Phase: Continuing treatment of second-line drug therapy for weeks 10 to 24 (administered every 3 weeks) Patient must have previously received PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition, AND The treatment must be in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone, AND Patient must not have developed disease progression while receiving treatment with this drug for this condition. Progressive disease is defined as at least 1 of the following: (a) at least a 25% increase and an absolute increase of at least 5 g per L in serum M protein (monoclonal protein); or (b) at least a 25% increase in 24-hour urinary light chain M protein excretion, and an absolute increase of at least 200 mg per 24 hours; or (c) in oligo-secretory and non-secretory myeloma patients only, at least a 50% increase in the difference between involved free light chain and uninvolved free light chain; or (d) at least a 25% relative increase and at least a 10% absolute increase in plasma cells in a bone marrow aspirate or on biopsy; or (e) an increase in the size or number of lytic bone lesions (not including compression fractures); or (f) at least a 25% increase in the size of an existing or the development of a new soft tissue plasmacytoma (determined by clinical examination or diagnostic imaging); or (g) development of hypercalcaemia (corrected serum calcium greater than 2.65 mmol per L not attributable to any other cause). Oligo-secretory and non-secretory patients are defined as having active disease with less than 10 g per L serum M protein.
Newly diagnosed systemic light chain amyloidosis Clinical criteria: Treatment Phase: Continuing treatment from week 25 onwards (administered once every four weeks) Patient must have previously received PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition. Treatment criteria: Must be treated by a haematologist (this does not exclude treatment via a multidisciplinary team, but the PBS authority application must be sought by the treating haematologist), AND Patient must be undergoing continuing treatment that does not extend treatment duration beyond whichever comes first: (i) disease progression, (ii) 96 cumulative weeks from the first administered dose, once in a lifetime.
Untreated multiple myeloma Clinical criteria: Treatment Phase: Transitioning from non-PBS to PBS-subsided treatment - Grandfather arrangements Patient must have received non-PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition prior to 1 November 2025, AND Patient must have met all initial treatment PBS eligibility criteria applying to a non-grandfathered patient prior to having commenced treatment with this drug, which are: (a) the condition was newly diagnosed, (b) the condition was confirmed by a histological diagnosis, (c) the patient was/is ineligible for a stem cell transplant, (d) the treatment is being given as triple combination therapy limited only to: (i) this drug, (ii) lenalidomide, (iii) dexamethasone, (e) patient is not receiving concomitant PBS-subsidised treatment with bortezomib, carfilzomib, elotuzumab, pomalidomide, selinexor or thalidomide, AND Patient must not have developed disease progression while receiving treatment with this drug for this condition. Treatment criteria: Patient must be undergoing PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug once per lifetime. Meaning, patient must access this drug in one of the following situations: (i) for the first time, irrespective of whether the diagnosis has been re-classified (i.e. the diagnosis has changed between multiple myeloma/amyloidosis), (ii) changing the drug's form (intravenous/subcutaneous) within the first 24 weeks of treatment for the same PBS indication. Details of the histological diagnosis of multiple myeloma, record of ineligibility for stem cell transplant and confirmation of eligibility for treatment with current diagnostic reports of at least one of the following must be documented in the patient's medical records: (a) the level of serum monoclonal protein; or (b) Bence-Jones proteinuria - the results of 24-hour urinary light chain M protein excretion; or (c) the serum level of free kappa and lambda light chains; or (d) bone marrow aspirate or trephine; or (e) if present, the size and location of lytic bone lesions (not including compression fractures); or (f) if present, the size and location of all soft tissue plasmacytomas by clinical or radiographic examination i.e. MRI or CT-scan; or (g) if present, the level of hypercalcaemia, corrected for albumin concentration. As these parameters must be used to determine response, results for either (a) or (b) or (c) should be documented for all patients. Where the patient has oligo-secretory or non-secretory multiple myeloma, either (c) or (d) or if relevant (e), (f) or (g) must be documented in the patient's medical records. Where the prescriber plans to assess response in patients with oligo-secretory or non-secretory multiple myeloma with free light chain assays, evidence of the oligo-secretory or non-secretory nature of the multiple myeloma (current serum M protein less than 10 g per L) must be documented in the patient's medical records. Progressive disease is defined as at least 1 of the following: (a) at least a 25% increase and an absolute increase of at least 5 g per L in serum M protein (monoclonal protein); or (b) at least a 25% increase in 24-hour urinary light chain M protein excretion, and an absolute increase of at least 200 mg per 24 hours; or (c) in oligo-secretory and non-secretory myeloma patients only, at least a 50% increase in the difference between involved free light chain and uninvolved free light chain; or (d) at least a 25% relative increase and at least a 10% absolute increase in plasma cells in a bone marrow aspirate or on biopsy; or (e) an increase in the size or number of lytic bone lesions (not including compression fractures); or (f) at least a 25% increase in the size of an existing or the development of a new soft tissue plasmacytoma (determined by clinical examination or diagnostic imaging); or (g) development of hypercalcaemia (corrected serum calcium greater than 2.65 mmol per L not attributable to any other cause). Oligo-secretory and non-secretory patients are defined as having active disease with less than 10 g per L serum M protein.
“Daratumumab is an IgG1k monoclonal antibody directed against CD38. CD38 is overexpressed in multiple myeloma cells. Daratumumab binds to a different CD38 epitope amino-acid sequence than does the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody isatuximab. Daratumumab binds to CD38, causing cells to apoptose via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, inhibition of mitochondrial transfer or antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis.”
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