No, Teclistamab and Tarlatamab Are Distinct Bispecific Antibodies
Teclistamab and tarlatamab are completely different bispecific monoclonal antibodies with distinct molecular targets, mechanisms of action, and clinical indications—they are not the same drug and cannot be used interchangeably.
Key Molecular Differences
Teclistamab (Teclistamab-cqyv)
- Target: Binds to BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen) on myeloma cells and CD3 on T cells 1
- Indication: FDA-approved for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after at least 4 prior therapies including an anti-CD38 antibody, proteasome inhibitor, and immunomodulatory drug 1, 2
- Administration: Subcutaneous injection at 1.5 mg/kg weekly after step-up dosing (0.06 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg) 3, 2
Tarlatamab
- Target: The evidence provided does not contain specific information about tarlatamab's molecular targets
- Note: Tarlatamab is not mentioned in any of the provided guidelines or research studies, which focus exclusively on BCMA-directed (teclistamab, elranatamab) and GPRC5D-directed (talquetamab) bispecific antibodies for multiple myeloma 1
Clinical Efficacy Profile of Teclistamab
- Overall response rate: 63.0% in heavily pretreated patients (median 5 prior lines of therapy) 2
- Complete response or better: 39.4% of patients 2
- Median progression-free survival: 11.3 months (95% CI, 8.8-17.1) 2
- Median duration of response: 18.4 months (95% CI, 14.9 to not estimable) 2
Safety Profile Distinctions
Teclistamab-Specific Adverse Events
- Cytokine release syndrome: 72.1% (grade 3: 0.6%; no grade 4 events) 2
- Hematologic toxicity: Neutropenia (70.9%; grade 3-4: 64.2%), anemia (52.1%; grade 3-4: 37.0%), thrombocytopenia (40.0%; grade 3-4: 21.2%) 2
- Infections: 76.4% overall (grade 3-4: 44.8%) 2
- Neurotoxicity: 14.5% including immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome in 3.0% (all grade 1-2) 2
Important Clinical Caveat
Do not confuse teclistamab with talquetamab, another bispecific antibody used in multiple myeloma that targets GPRC5D (not BCMA) 1, 4, 5. These are also distinct agents with different:
- Molecular targets (BCMA vs GPRC5D)
- Adverse event profiles (talquetamab causes more skin-related events and dysgeusia) 1
- Dosing schedules 1
The combination of talquetamab plus teclistamab has been studied together in the RedirecTT-1 trial, demonstrating that these are separate agents that can be combined 6.