Dr Ailawadhi on the Investigation of Cemsidomide in Multiple Myeloma

We have these different agents: iberdomide, mezigdomide, and cemsidomide. I think where they are getting positioned, based on the clinical trial data that [are] maturing, is a little bit different.

Sikander Ailawadhi, MD, lead of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Multiple Myeloma Specialized Program of Research Excellence at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, enterprise deputy director of the International Cancer Program at Mayo Clinic, and vice chair of the Southwest Oncology Group Myeloma Committee, discussed the evolving development landscape of investigational IKZF1 degraders for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, emphasizing differences among these agents and CELMoDs under clinical development.

Ailawadhi explained that although several CELMoDs, such as mezigdomide and iberdomide, and the IKZF1 degrader cemsidomide are advancing through clinical development, each compound is establishing a distinct niche based on the patient populations and treatment settings in which they are being studied. As additional data mature, these differing development pathways are beginning to shape how clinicians may ultimately view their potential roles in the treatment paradigm.

According to Ailawadhi, iberdomide has generated the most mature data in earlier lines of therapy, positioning it for evaluation in patients who have received fewer prior treatments. In contrast, mezigdomide has primarily been studied in more heavily pretreated populations, where clinical evidence continues to accumulate in later-line disease settings,he added. Cemsidomide, an investigational oral IKZF1 degrader, remains in an earlier stage of development, Aliawadhi said, with current studies evaluating the agent in combination with dexamethasone as well as in combination regimens incorporating bispecific antibodies.

Updated data from the phase 1/2 CFT7455-1101trial (NCT04756726) presented at the 2026 EHA Congress showed that in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who received at least 3 prior lines of therapy, cemsidomide plus dexamethasone generated an overall response rate (ORR) of 36% across all doses (n = 72). In patients treated with a daily cemsidomide dose of 100 µg per day plus dexamethasone (n = 19), the ORR was 53%, including a clinical benefit rate of 63%.

As efficacy and safety data continue to mature for cemsidomide, Ailawadhi anticipates that the IKZF1 degrader may ultimately occupy a position within the multiple myeloma treatment landscape based on the evidence generated in specific disease settings, similar to how iberdomide and mezigdomide have been developed. Continued evaluation in combination strategies and across varying lines of therapy will further clarify the optimal use of these agents as the therapeutic armamentarium for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma expands, he concluded.