March is Multiple Myeloma (MM) Awareness Month, which raises awareness, action, and amplifies the voices of individuals impacted by MM, a blood cancer in which abnormal plasma cells build up in the bone marrow, producing large amounts of a single antibody protein (M-protein) and interfering with the production of normal blood cells. Although MM is currently not curable, many patients achieve remission through various drug regimens and stem cell transplants. Awareness plays a vital role in recognising symptoms sooner, enabling quicker treatment, thus improving outcomes. According to GlobalData’s Epidemiology Database, there will be over 85,000 new cases diagnosed and 330,000 prevalent cases in the eight major markets (8MM: US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, and China) in 2026. GlobalData’s ‘Multiple Myeloma: Eight-Market Drug Forecast 2022–32’ report forecasted that in 2026, there will be $25.5bn, increasing to $29.9bn by 2032, in MM drug therapeutic sales in the 8MM. This is led by monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulatory drugs, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies. Interestingly, total market sales will see a distribution shift towards the second line of therapy or later with the approvals of Carvykti and Tecvayli in 2022, and as patents for first-line and maintenance therapies Revlimid and Darzalex expire in 2027 and 2029, respectively.
Currently, according to GlobalData’s Pharma Clinical Trials Database, there are 80 planned and ongoing clinical trials (Phase II/III and III) sponsored by pharmaceutical companies for MM. An interesting trial that may have a significant impact on the MM market is iMMagine-1, sponsored by Kite, a subsidiary of Gilead. This study trials an anitocabtagene-autoleucel (BCMA)-directed CAR-T therapy using a novel synthetic binding domain, D-domain, for fourth- and fifth-line therapies. BCMA has a smaller D-domain compared to other binders, which enhances the CAR density and can improve the CAR-T therapy as it can enhance binding capacity, increase cytotoxicity, and promote more robust cytokine production. According to GlobalData’s MM Drug Forecast, the forecast estimate is $658m of sales revenue in 2032 in the 8MM for BCMA for MM.
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Additionally, there are multiple active trials such as SUCCESSOR-1 and SUCCESSOR-2 for the immunomodulatory drug mezigdomide from Bristol Myers Squibb Co., for relapsed/refractory (r/r) and newly diagnosed MM. This next-generation cereblon E3 ligase modulator is designed to target key proteins for MM survival. This promotes direct anti-cancer effects and promotes T-cell and natural killer cell activation. Additionally, mezigdomide has been shown in clinical trials that when combined with other agents, the overall response rate in heavily pre-treated r/r MM patients ranges from 75% to 85%, thus demonstrating mezigdomide treatment efficiency even in patients who did not respond ideally to other treatment regimens. Lastly, according to the same report, mezigdomide, in combination with different therapies for second- to fifth-line treatments, will reach $241m in 2032 sales in the 8MM.
In conclusion, the current wave of Phase II/III and Phase III trials, including next-generation CAR-T approaches such as Kite’s iMMagine-1 and emerging cereblon E3 ligase modulators such as mezigdomide, highlights how rapidly the treatment landscape is evolving for both r/r and newly diagnosed patients. Continued awareness, clinical trial participation, and research momentum will be critical to translating these advances into longer remissions, better quality of life, and ultimately more durable disease control. With total sales in the 8MM estimated to reach $29.9bn by 2032 and with patent expiry for key therapeutics such as Revlimid and Darzalex approaching, there are opportunities for new effective treatments.
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