Smoldering multiple myeloma is an asymptomatic disorder with an annual risk of 10% of progression to the incurable cancer multiple myeloma. While many patients live for many years without progression, high risk patients have a median risk of progression of 29 months. No therapy has been approved for this indication. New treatments with limited adverse events are in high demand for this unmet medical need. An effective peptide vaccine would represent an ideal candidate, since vaccines generally have very low levels of side effects.~This study will explore if vaccination against the immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1 leads to responses in patients with high risk smoldering myeloma. PD-L1 is thought to play a role in the rate of progression from smoldering myeloma to symptomatic myeloma. Targeting this pathway with little risk of adverse events would potentially prevent or delay progression to symptomatic myeloma.
This study is evaluating a new vaccine against PD-L1 as a possible treatment for high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma.