A Breakthrough in Daratumumab Delivery
- Daratumumab traditionally has been administered intravenously in injections that are both frequent and last hours
- New trials, however, show the drug can be just as effective while administered under the skin as opposed to in the veins, which drastically cuts delivery time to about 10 minutes
- It’s believed subcutaneous injections can also reduce side effects
Daratumumab traditionally is delivered intravenously (through an IV) in injections that can last up to eight to 10 hours for the first infusion, and then about three hours for subsequent ones. The infusions are also quite frequent; though it varies, they can occur at first every week, then every other week and then about once a month.
A Delivery Alternative: Subcutaneous Injections
Read More Now, new research shows that the drug can be delivered just as effectively via a “subcutaneous injection,” meaning administered under the skin as opposed to in the veins. Subcutaneous daratumumab injections only take about 10 minutes to deliver. “There are now trials showing that giving it under the skin is just as effective as giving it intravenously,” says Dr. Sagar Lonial, a medical oncologist at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, and one of the leading authorities in multiple myeloma treatment and research. It’s “an exciting development forward.” What’s more, Dr. Lonial shares that recent research also shows that subcutaneous injections can actually reduce side effects.
“Those are really exciting new developments for patients,” Dr. Lonial says.
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