The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Genmab’s daratumumab for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD) or who are double refractory to a PI and IMiD. 

In August 2012, Genmab granted Janssen Biotech an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize daratumumab.

"Breakthrough designation allows us to work together with our strategic partner Janssen and the FDA to expedite the development of daratumumab in multiple myeloma, so patients suffering from this devastating type of blood cancer could potentially receive access to this medicine much sooner," said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., CEO of Genmab.

Daratumumab targets the CD38 molecule which is highly expressed on the surface of multiple myeloma cells. The drug could also have potential in other cancers on which CD38 is expressed, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, plasma cell leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, follicular lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. Daratumumab is currently in phase I/II clinical development for multiple myeloma.