Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) |
1) Upfront transplant (in selected cases); 2) Consolidation after induction [16] |
1) High-dose melphalan 200 mg/m2 followed by ASCT is considered as first-line treatment for patients who fit eligibility criteria and have minimum plasma cell percentage (< 10%) in the bone marrow [9, 17, 18]; 2) Criteria for HD-ASCT include patients up to 65 - 70 years of age with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 50 mL/min, low cardiac biomarkers (NT-pBNP < 590 pmol/L and/or troponin T < 0.06 ng/mL), plasma cell infiltration (< 10%) in the bone marrow at the time of transplant; 3) ASCT should be avoided in patients with severe autonomic neuropathy, significant gastrointestinal bleeding, advanced renal failure over 70 years (case by case basis), amyloid-related symptomatic pleural effusions or poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (> 2) [41]; 4) Bortezomib-based induction therapy is considered prior to ASCT if plasma cells > 10% in the bone marrow. |
Alkylating agent (melphalan) and dexamethasone |
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Melphalan and Dex (M-Dex) |
First-line therapy in selected transplant ineligible patients |
Melphalan-dexamethasone can be considered as first line in elderly patients, neuropathy, poor performance status. Complete response (CR) rate 33%, overall response rate (ORR) 67% [19]. |
Proteasome inhibitior therapy |
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Bortezomib |
Backbone therapy for various combinations |
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Bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone (CyBorD) |
First line or relapse AL amyloidosis (can be considered for both transplant eligible and ineligible |
CyBorD as upfront or second-line therapy is very effective regimen with overall hematologic response up to 94%. The regimen can be used in both transplant eligible and ineligible patients [20, 21]. |
Bortezomib, melphalan, dexamethasone (BMDex) |
First line or relapse AL amyloidosis (transplant ineligible patients) |
Treatment with BMDex compared with MDex resulted in improved hematologic responses at 3 months (79% vs. 52%; P = 0.002), Very good partial response (VGPR) and CR (64% vs. 39%; hazard ratio, 2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30 to 4.71). Overall survival (OS) with 50% decrease in mortality rate [22]. |
Bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone (VRd) |
Use is limited to selected patients with t11:14, no cardiac involvement, no history solid organ transplant |
1) The regimen has high rate of VGPR at 6 months compared to CyBorD regimen (92% vs. 61%) [23]. Consider weekly bortezomib, low-dose lenalidomide (5 mg), and weekly dexamethasone; 2) The regimen is not used as upfront due to its non-hematologic toxicity; 3) Combination should be avoided in patients with cardiac involvement. |
Carfilzomib |
Not recommended outside of clinical trial |
Patients have high grade 3 and grade 4 cardiac, renal, pulmonary and hematologic toxicities. |
Ixazomib |
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Ixazomib + dexamethasone |
Relapse/refractory AL amyloidosis after one or more prior lines of therapy |
1) Hematologic response are 52%, 1-year OS 85% [42]; 2) Phase 3 ongoing, NCT01659658
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Ixazomib + cyclophosphamide + dexamethasone |
Investigational |
Phase 1/2 ongoing in patients with relapse AL amyloidosis (NCT01864018, NCT03236792) |
Immunomodulatory drugs |
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Thalidomide |
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Thalidomide, dexamethasone |
1) Rarely used due to toxicity; 2) Not commonly prescribe in USA |
1) Hematologic response 48%, CR 15%; 2) Increase risk of symptomatic bradycardia [24] |
Thalidomide, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone |
1) Use in relapse AL amyloidosis (case by case basis); 2) Not commonly prescribe in the USA |
1) Hematologic response 74%, CR 21% [25]; 2) Increase risk of cardiotoxicity |
Lenalidomide |
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Lenalidomide-dexamethasone |
Limited to selected cases for both first line and relapse AL amyloidosis |
1) Hematologic response 61%, CR 20% [26]; 2) Serious cardiac and renal toxicity are reported [27, 28]. |
Lenalidomide, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone |
Limited to selected cases for both first line and relapse AL amyloidosis |
1) Hematologic response 60%, VGPR 40% in upfront treatment; 2) Higher rate of hematologic toxicity [43] |
Pomalidomide |
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Pomalidomide-Dexamethasone |
1) Preferred over lenalidomide and dexamethasone; 2) Use is limited to relapse AL amyloidosis |
Overall hematologic response varies 48-68% in relapse AL amyloidosis. Rapid response can be seen after starting treatment [29, 30]. |
Monoclonal antibodies targeting CD38 |
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Daratumumab (IV) |
Heavily pretreated AL amyloidosis |
1) Hematologic response is 76%, CR 36%, VGPR 24%; 2) Median hematologic response reported at 1 month [31] |
Daratumumab (SQ), bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone |
Recommended as first line induction therapy both in transplant eligible and transplant ineligible patients (preferred) |
1) Overall hematologic response reported 92%, CR 53% compared to CyBorD alone (77%, CR 18%) [32, 33]; 2) Six-month cardiac response 42% versus 22%; 3) Six-month renal response 54% versus 27% |
Ixazomib + daratumumab + dexamethasone |
Investigational |
Combination is currently investigated in heavily pretreated AL amyloidosis (NCT03283917). |
Daratumumab, pomalidomide |
Investigational |
Combination is currently investigated in heavily pretreated AL amyloidosis (NCT04895917). |
Isatuximab |
Investigational |
Preliminary phase 2 results showed hematologic response 77%, VGPR 54% (NCT 08399808) [44]. |
Targeting amyloid component therapy |
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NEOD001 |
Investigational |
Clinical trial failed to prove significant improvement in outcomes. Subgroup analysis of VITAL suggests benefit in Mayo stage IV patients with severe cardiac involvement and confirmatory trial is planned [34]. |
CAEL-101 |
Investigational |
1) 63% patients have organ response [35, 36]; 2) A double-blind, randomized, multicenter international phase 3 study of CAEL-101 combined with the SoC treatment for plasma cell dyscrasia (PCD) versus placebo in patients with treatment naive Mayo stage IIIb AL amyloidosis (NCT045004825); 3) A phase 3, double-blind, multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CAEL-101 and plasma cell dyscrasia treatment versus placebo and plasma cell dyscrasia treatment in plasma cell dyscrasia treatment naive patients with Mayo stage IIIa AL amyloidosis (NCT04512235). |
Anti-metabolite and alkylating agent |
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Bendamustine |
Investigational |
Has better hematologic response in relapse IgM AL amyloidosis compared to non-IgM AL amyloidosis (58% versus 28%) particularly in combination with rituximab [37] |
Small molecules |
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Doxycycline |
Consider doxycycline as an adjuvant to standard chemotherapy |
Doxycycline is associated with better hematologic response and survival rates at 12 and 24 months compared to matched historical controls (82% versus 53%), and (82% versus 40%) [38] |
Venetoclax (BCL-2 inhibitor) |
Investigational |
Drug is evaluated as single agent and in combinations. Venetoclax has shown promising results with t11:14 translocation. Despite biochemical response, safety concerns and increase risk of death is a concern which require further investigation before its use to patients. |
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (ECGC) |
Investigational |
Use as an adjuvant treatment is not well established [39, 40]. |
Ibrutunib (bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor) |
Investigational |
Ibrutinib with or without bortezomib and dexamethasone in treating patients with relapsed or refractory immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (NCT03130348) |
Oncopeptides |
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Melflufen + dexamethasone |
Investigational |
A phase 1/2 open label study of melphalan flufenamide (melflufen) in combination with dexamethasone for participants with Al amyloidosis following at least one prior line of therapy (NCT04115956) |