GSK GETS EU NOD: BLENREP, A NEW ERA FOR MYLOMA CARE
PharmaGenDrx News Bureau – 27th July,2025
11;30 AM IST
On July 24, 2025, GSK’s new drug, Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) for multiple myeloma cancer, got EU approval. Multiple myeloma targets the blood plasma cells, impairing the immune system. Each year over 180,000 new cases are globally diagnosed, recurrence, for the same a novel drug designed to deliver a cell- killing agent directly to the tumour cell, with negligible damage to healthy tissues has been launched by GSK under the name of Blenrep.
Blenrep is reported to be a first in class antibody-drug-conjugate (ADC) which targets the BCMA(Beta cell maturation) protein present on cancer-causingcancer-causing plasma cells.
The trial was conducted in two parts DREAMM7, and DREAMM8 both of which gave successful results. DREAMM 7 tripled the time that the patients lived without the disease getting worse – from 13.4 months to 36.6 months, reduced death risk by 42% and increased overall survival rate compared to the other previous drugs.
DREAMM8 was conducted in patients who were already undergoing heavy treatment and also those who had stopped responding to treatments. Blenrep showed an extraordinary response by reducing disease progression, increasing life expectancy and outperforming the standard treatment.
Though Blenrep was accompanied by a few side effects, one being eye issues, it was mostly treatable and reversible with medication. Others such as diarrhoea and COVID were a few others but such seem to be common with cancer therapies.
The nod was provided after successful conduction of the phase III trials.
Blenrep has been said to have the potential to extend remission and survival as reported by Senior Vice President, Global Head of Oncology, R&D, GSK, Hesham Abdullah. Especially with the option to administer in both academic and community-based settings.
This treatment is also approved in the UK, Canada, Japan and Switzerland based on the result of DREAMM8, other studies are ongoing in major markets such as China and USA focusing on DREAMM7 trials. Both of which show promising results.
