Skip to main content

Part of the book series: Resistance to Targeted Anti-Cancer Therapeutics ((RTACT,volume 22))

Abstract

Pomalidomide is the third-generation immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD) derived from thalidomide, approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). The exact mechanisms of action of pomalidomide are unclear; however, given the structural similarities between pomalidomide and the second-generation IMiD lenalidomide, it is postulated that the two IMiDs share common effects. Pomalidomide is more potent than lenalidomide and is efficacious in lenalidomide-resistant cases. However, pomalidomide-resistant cases have been observed. This chapter will review data from notable clinical trials of pomalidomide and explore the potential mechanisms of pomalidomide action and resistance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

EMA:

European Medicines Agency

FDA:

US Food and Drug Administration

IMiD:

Immunomodulatory imide drug

mRNA:

Messenger RNA

NF-κβ:

Nuclear factor-kappa B

ORR:

Overall response rate

OS:

Overall survival

PFS:

Progression-free survival

PI:

Proteasome inhibitor

RRMM:

Relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

TGA:

Therapeutic Goods Administration

References

  1. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 134780, Pomalidomide; [cited 2020 Sept. 24]. [Internet]. PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2004. Retrieved from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Pomalidomide.

  2. Miguel JS, Weisel K, Moreau P, Lacy M, Song K, Delforge M, et al. Pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone versus high-dose dexamethasone alone for patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (MM-003): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(11):1055–66.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Richardson PG, Siegel DS, Vij R, Hofmeister CC, Baz R, Jagannath S, et al. Pomalidomide alone or in combination with low-dose dexamethasone in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma: a randomized phase 2 study. Blood. 2014;123(12):1826–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Leleu X, Attal M, Arnulf B, Moreau P, Traulle C, Marit G, et al. Pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone is active and well tolerated in bortezomib and lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma: Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome 2009-02. Blood. 2013;121(11):1968–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Sehgal K, Das R, Zhang L, Verma R, Deng Y, Kocoglu M, et al. Clinical and pharmacodynamic analysis of pomalidomide dosing strategies in myeloma: impact of immune activation and cereblon targets. Blood. 2015;125(26):4042–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Baz RC, Martin TG 3rd, Lin HY, Zhao X, Shain KH, Cho HJ, et al. Randomized multicenter phase 2 study of pomalidomide, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone in relapsed refractory myeloma. Blood. 2016;127(21):2561–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Richardson PG, Hofmeister CC, Raje NS, Siegel DS, Lonial S, Laubach J, et al. Correction: Pomalidomide, bortezomib, and low-dose dexamethasone in lenalidomide-refractory and proteasome inhibitor-exposed myeloma. Leukemia. 2018;32(10):2305.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Chari A, Suvannasankha A, Fay JW, Arnulf B, Kaufman JL, Ifthikharuddin JJ, et al. Daratumumab plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. Blood. 2017;130(8):974–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mateos MV, Blacklock H, Schjesvold F, Oriol A, Simpson D, George A, et al. Pembrolizumab plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (KEYNOTE-183): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2019;6(9):e459–e69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chang X, Zhu Y, Shi C, Stewart AK. Mechanism of immunomodulatory drugs’ action in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin. 2014;46(3):240–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Li S, Pal R, Monaghan SA, Schafer P, Ouyang H, Mapara M, et al. IMiD immunomodulatory compounds block C/EBP{beta} translation through eIF4E down-regulation resulting in inhibition of MM. Blood. 2011;117(19):5157–65.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Galustian C, Meyer B, Labarthe MC, Dredge K, Klaschka D, Henry J, et al. The anti-cancer agents lenalidomide and pomalidomide inhibit the proliferation and function of T regulatory cells. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2009;58(7):1033–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lopez-Girona A, Mendy D, Ito T, Miller K, Gandhi AK, Kang J, et al. Cereblon is a direct protein target for immunomodulatory and antiproliferative activities of lenalidomide and pomalidomide. Leukemia. 2012;26(11):2326–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Steven R, Schuster KMK, Zhu YX, Braggio E, Shi C-X, Bruins L, Schmidt J, Ahmann G, Kumar SK, Rajkumar SV, Mikhael JR, Roy V, LaPlant BR, Laumann K, Barlogie B, Shaughnessy JD, Fonseca R, Bergsagel L, Lacy MQ, Stewart K. Cereblon expression predicts response, progression free and overall survival after pomalidomide and dexamethasone therapy in multiple myeloma. Blood. 2012;120(21)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

Many thanks to the reviewers of this manuscript and my coeditor Steven Trieu. This work was supported by NSW Pathology and the SWSLHD mid-career grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Silvia CW Ling .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Yeung, A.JT., Ling, S.C. (2021). Pomalidomide. In: Ling, S.C., Trieu, S. (eds) Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Multiple Myeloma. Resistance to Targeted Anti-Cancer Therapeutics, vol 22. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73440-4_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics