Physician Sentiment on DARZALEX®

Compiled and reviewed by the KOL Pulse research team, led by Brian Shields, Founder, KOL Pulse. Last updated 2026-07-13. KOL Pulse reports the physician conversation and does not endorse any product.

Trial 1 · NCT03301220

What do oncologists think of the AQUILA trial (DARZALEX®)?

AQUILA — High-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (subcutaneous daratumumab monotherapy vs active monitoring)

FDA APPROVED · Nov 2025 · first-in-classDARZALEX FASPRO® (subcutaneous daratumumab) is FDA-approved (November 6, 2025) for adults with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma — the first and only therapy approved in this setting, based on AQUILA.

Physicians are broadly favorable, with real nuance on AQUILA: 34% of 60 verified physician voices positive, 8% nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 53% neutral, 5% critical.

34%

53%

Positive 34% Nuanced 8% Neutral 53% Critical 5%

Denominator: 60 distinct verified physician voices across 306 oncologist posts, 2024-12-06 to 2026-04-14. Sponsor: Janssen Research & Development

See full AQUILA conference coverage & trial data →

Primary sources: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT03301220 · ASCO Post / FDA — AQUILA high-risk smoldering MM approval (Nov 2025)

FDA approval (November 6, 2025): subcutaneous daratumumab (DARZALEX FASPRO) for adults with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma — the first therapy approved in this setting (based on AQUILA, NCT03301220).

Physician voices — verbatim

Representative positive voice

Out in @NEJM as @thanosdimop is speaking!! 🚨 Most important #ASH24 abstract in #MMsm: AQUILA study demonstrating OS benefit with dara x3 years in high-risk SMM. Monthly dara now can prevent Dara quad & ASCT later? Will be worth it in some patients! https://t.co/2PBwfRacuH

Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP

@RahulBanerjeeMD

Representative nuanced voice

🚩 So much more early censoring in the “active monitoring” group -> selection bias When a control group has extensive early censoring, and the group is reported to do worse, the resulting bias can artificially inflate the effectiveness of the treatment.

Nate Krah

@N8Krah

Representative critical voice

Ridiculous. Super expensive drug to treat healty people who feel just fine, the primary endpoint includes slim criteria. Even PFS2 may include asymptomatic events. An industry sponsored joke. @AaronGoodman33 #ash24

Vinay Prasad MD MPH

@VPrasadMDMPH

Full physician voice list (60)

Physician	Comment (verbatim)	Sentiment	Impressions
Mohamad Mohty @Mohty_EBMT	This is likely the breaking news of the day at #ASH24 Aquila soars high, Hope in smoldering shadows, New light breaks the dark. ⁦@ASH_hematology⁩ ⁦@TheIACH⁩ ⁦@COMyCongress⁩ ⁦@thanosdimop⁩⁩ ⁦@Rfonsi1⁩ ⁦@Mohty_EBMT⁩ ⁦ @IMFmyeloma⁩ #ASHaiku	Neutral	55,165
Vincent Rajkumar @VincentRK	AQUILA trial for high risk smoldering myeloma published in @NEJM today. @thanosdimop Personally for me, it is a huge milestone along 25 years of work that started in 1998. #ASH24 #ASH24VR This story below may help those interested in a…	Neutral	46,809
Vinay Prasad MD MPH @VPrasadMDMPH	Ridiculous. Super expensive drug to treat healty people who feel just fine, the primary endpoint includes slim criteria. Even PFS2 may include asymptomatic events. An industry sponsored joke. @AaronGoodman33 #ash24	Negative	45,667
Raj Chakraborty @rajshekharucms	AQUILA Trial is out! Important to note that ~30% of patients received a clearly suboptimal 1st line anti-myeloma treatment (no PI+IMiD- based triplet or CD38-based combos), which makes the OS signal unreliable in the current climate of Quad…	Neutral	25,192
Aaron Goodman - “Papa Heme” @AaronGoodman33	Oncology Poll We now have a randomized trial showing Daratumumab improves OS and delays progression. As an oncologist are you going to start treating high risk smoldering myeloma or are you not convinced yet?	Neutral	16,994
Robert Z. Orlowski @Myeloma_Doc	No #myeloma specialist would endorse the below scenario as you have presented it without a true diagnosis of myeloma and in the absence of SLIM CRAB criteria for symptomatic disease.	Neutral	14,867
Timothée Olivier, MD @Timothee_MD	In our new paper, w/ Sunny Kim and @VPrasadMDMPH, we explain why observation should remain the standard of care in high-risk Smoldering Myeloma What is Smoldering Myeloma? How OpenEvidence failed? How key data lacking from NEJM were made a…	Negative	14,433
Nate Krah @N8Krah	🚩 So much more early censoring in the “active monitoring” group -> selection bias When a control group has extensive early censoring, and the group is reported to do worse, the resulting bias can artificially inflate the effectiveness of t…	Nuanced	13,643
Eddie Cliff @Eddie_Cliff	The about-to-be-presented AQUILA trial just published in @NEJM Daratumumab vs active surveillance in high risk smouldering myeloma The devil will be in the detail !! https://t.co/sQsrtAqGwA #ASH24 #mmsm @ManniMD1 @rajshekharucms @Hadidi…	Neutral	10,547
Oncology Brothers @OncBrothers	Daratumumab is now @US_FDA ✅ for smoldering myeloma off AQUILA! We had a chance to 🗣️the trial, findings, AEs and debate around selecting the right pt w/ @VincentRK Full 🗣️: ⭐️ https://t.co/xwgTWtJ2eu ⭐️ “Oncology Brothers” podcast @Onc…	Neutral	8,959
chadi nabhan MD, MBA, FACP @chadinabhan	Tom on #HealthcareUnfiltered, ⁦@VincentRK⁩ & ⁦@AaronGoodman33⁩ join me to debate recent data on Smoldering Myeloma presented at #ASH24 ⁦@ASH_hematology⁩ & pub in ⁦@NEJM⁩ - We discuss the SMM topic broadly - pluses & minuses of studies. A m…	Neutral	8,128
Ajay Major, MD, MBA @majorajay	My analysis of patient-reported outcomes in the AQUILA trial (dara v active surveillance HR SMM). I graphed out the PRO scores in the @NEJM supplement in this thread; follow along! 🧵#mmsm #ASH24 https://t.co/hn0bSqqSlf	Neutral	7,126
Samer Al Hadidi, MD,MS,FACP @HadidiSamer	An @US_FDA ODAC will be held May 20th to discuss the potential approval for Dara in smoldering myeloma #mmsm Very good points made in the discussion 👇 ➡️ https://t.co/5WlEaR7shQ Few important observations summarised here🧵	Neutral	7,118
Al-Ola A Abdallah MD (USMIRC) @Abdallah81MD	🚨 Considerations for Transitioning My Practice and Initiating Treatment for Smoldering #Myeloma: 1)The trial effectively ensured a balanced evaluation by comparing an arm utilizing Dara against the standard of care (active monitoring). 2) …	Neutral	6,705
Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP @RahulBanerjeeMD	Out in @NEJM as @thanosdimop is speaking!! 🚨 Most important #ASH24 abstract in #MMsm: AQUILA study demonstrating OS benefit with dara x3 years in high-risk SMM. Monthly dara now can prevent Dara quad & ASCT later? Will be worth it in some…	Positive	5,483
Nishant Rajendra Tiwari @Nischistocyte	I read the full paper today - this is one of the most well done trial imo 🙌🏻🙌🏻 I will be doing a journal club on this article in January as my first journal club in fellowship. Congratulations and thanks Dr Rajkumar 🙏🏻🙌🏻	Positive	5,082
Michael H. Tomasson, MD @MTomasson	Are there any data on how dara-treated SMM that progress to MM respond to subsequent NDMM regimens?	Neutral	3,574
Sagar Lonial MD @SagarLonialMD	The closest we have is that the OS is no worse for patients in the dara arm. If there was an impact we would have seen it. Same with the ecog trial and Len exposure	Neutral	3,451
Ben Derman @bdermanmd	AQUILA: Daratumumab x 3 years vs. active surveillance for smoldering myeloma - All patients had advanced imaging (CT/PET/MRI during screening and yearly) - Primary endpoint: PFS per IMWG SLiM-CRAB criteria - Secondary endpoints: included OS…	Neutral	2,995
Omar Nadeem @OmarNadeemMD	Daratumumab paves the way for early intervention in HR-SMM @IrenemGhobrial #mmsm	Neutral	2,977
Saad Z. Usmani MD MBA FACP 🇺🇸🇵🇰 @szusmani	Kudos to the investigators @VincentRK @thanosdimop and team #ASH24 #mmsm	Positive	2,518
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐌𝐃 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐏 @CParkMD	⭐️PRACTICE changing myeloma study at #ASH24 just published @NEJM article 👉 https://t.co/o1wq8t8yH2 Thank you Dr. Rajkumar @MayoClinic for joining us on @OncLive on location. Full video 👉 https://t.co/pZraeLF5eO @VincentRK @MayoClinic @Me…	Positive	2,441
Meral Beksac @mbeksac56	Prof M Boccadoro presented a deep critical review of SMM Rx including AQUILA study @EMN_EuMMnet with a conclusion from @UrviShahMD results	Neutral	1,510
Rafael Fonseca MD 🦔🇺🇸🏜🇲🇽 @Rfonsi1	Congratulations to the whole team!	Positive	1,405
James Hoffman @Drjhoffmanmiami	Vincent- I commend this trial- highly impactful- but I think the worst argument u can make is- Dara is needed to compensate for a system that makes follow up substandard. There are many more visits on tx arm- and presumably compliance matte…	Nuanced	1,363
Suzanne Lentzsch, MD, PhD @SLentzsch	It would be interesting to see the HR if pt would have received DWI-WBMRI to exclude active MM @JHillengass	Neutral	1,358
Joselle Cook @JoselleCookMD	Read ➡️ how my mentor @VincentRK persisted and collaborated in #SMM early intervention trials, culminating into the landmark AQUILA trial #ASH24 So much to learn from his experience	Neutral	1,310
David Russler-Germain, MD/PhD @dgermain21	This might be my favorite thread this month (including ASH) since so few of us can do this level of analysis on our own (sad but true). Maybe steroid premeds for dara alleviated unrelated pain…?	Nuanced	1,149
Adam DuVall MD, MPH @AyaOncologist	Great PRO/HRQoL summary by a leader in the field for an important and controversial SMM study.	Positive	899
Héctor A. Vaquera @VaqueraH_md	Results from the AQUILA trial #ASH24 A few thoughts: - In absence of figures in uploaded abstracts, the n at risk table in the presentation is going to be important to pay attention to - How many of such progression events were SLiM?	Neutral	808
Francesco Maura @FrancescoMaura4	Happy to share our editorial and thoughts about the AQUILA trial recently published in @NEJM. Thanks @Leif_Bergsagel for involving me in this effort! 🙏 #msmm @MSKCancerCenter @MSK_DeptOfMed @MayoClinic	Positive	807
𝗡𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗶 MD, DM @nihardesai89	I do not treat myeloma but it is pretty convincing data!	Nuanced	802
Urvi Shah @UrviShahMD	Nicely summarized AQUILA trial for smoldering myeloma @HadidiSamer	Positive	792
Mike Thompson, MD, PhD, FASCO @mtmdphd	A #mmsm classic -> Vincent Rajkumar (@VincentRK): from Madras to Minnesota for myeloma - @TheLancet https://t.co/0ZwL82cBdU #ASH24	Neutral	787
Thanos Dimopoulos @thanosdimop	Very honored to see our collective effort to be published in this prestigious Journal Practice changing data?	Positive	708
Prashant Sharma, MD, FACP @psharmaMD	Great insight, thx. I see MM pts everyday had practical Qs. Dr Rajkumar, when HRSMM pt progress on Dara or soon after to MM, what’s your rec for nextline? You’ve favored no Dara maint despite many doing for MM. Is 3yrsDara for SMM not equal…	Neutral	694
Juda Lebow MD @judalebow	I’m holding out, to hear your take on it!	Neutral	531
Rakesh Popat @DrRakeshPopat	Congratulations! Must have been hard to deliver this study to such high quality.	Positive	455
Razan Mohty @Razan_Mohty	Great practice changing study for our #SMM We are more and more recognizing that early treatment in cancer is the way to go. We just have to find the right time, right drug, and right risk category. #ASHKudos to Dr @VincentRK for conducti…	Positive	446
Nick Burwick, MD @NickBurwick	nice thread thank you Rahul, would be happy to see asymptomatic removed as a default descriptor of SMM	Positive	403
Elias K. Mai MD @EliasKarlMai	#3 Definately an interesting approach in smoldering #mmsm with an highly active immune drug. I am excited to see how the community will make use of this treatment option in the future. @VincentRK	Positive	396
Santhosh Ambika @RenoHemonc	thought there will be more nays	Neutral	396
Kevin Knopf @drkevinknopf	There aren’t enough medical school lectures on lead time bias	Negative	394
Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman	Thank you for sharing your insights. I’m curious—would your perspective shift if the patient were found to have high-risk features such as TP53 mutations, and if so, what would be your preferred management strategy in that setting? Additio…	Neutral	318
Michael Slade, MD @MichaelJSlade	Excited to dig into the paper. The worse PFS in pre-treated patients is surprising and cuts against how myeloma generally acts.	Positive	295
Uriel Suárez @UsuarezMD		Neutral	274
Taha A, MD @Taha_CancerDoc	Dr @VincentRK we would be honored if you’re able to join our journal club and as Dr @Nischistocyte said , congratulations on all your work to move our field forward	Positive	247
Luna Acharya, MD MA @LAcharyaMD	"Thank you, @AaronGoodman33, for sharing your expertise with us @UIowa Hem/Onc fellows! You made smoldering MM easy to understand. We truly appreciate your time and insights❄️🙌 #HemeOnc #MedicalEducation"	Positive	236
Murali Janakiram @JanakiramMurali	4. SMM- AQUILA - Dara in SMM @VincentRK -long-term PFS benefit across all MWG 2020 -most pronounced benefit in the high-risk subgroup. - Early Dara tx for high-risk SMM no detrimental impact on stem cell yield. How to Rx after progressi…	Neutral	233
Hamza Hassan @Hamza_HassanMD	#ASH24 AQUILA Trial: time limited 3 year Sq Dara for high risk SMM presented by @thanosdimop	Neutral	201
Martin Schoen MD MPH @mwschoen	Looks like we need to start discussing the 3-8-50-IgA-Immuno2 rule to define smoldering myeloma eligible for dara...	Neutral	167
Andrew M. Evens, DO, MBA, MSc @DrAEvens	👏 kudos!!	Positive	128
Dr Victor Lin @victorshiyulin	AQUILA trial data presented by Prof Meletios Dimopoulos at #ASH24 390 pts with high-risk SMM randomised to 36 m of daratumumab (n=194) or active monitoring (n=196) DARA reduced risk of MM progression or death by 51% and improved 5-year O…	Neutral	103
Prerna Mewawalla @myelomadoctor	Practice changing! Another step in the right direction for smoldering myeloma. Looking forward to results from EAA173 as well, to use Dara/len combination. Glad to have that trial here @AHNtoday @AHNhemeonc	Positive	102
Bhuvan Kishore @bloodmed	I think both ways this paper is important. What was the reason for each death 41 in total, 26 on obs arm. That's where the hypothesis for early or deferred treatment is buried? The other worry is that if it would be further enriched if the …	Neutral	95
Bijoy Telivala @BijoyTelivala	For multiple reasons and majority of them being correct the FDA now will look harder at drug approvals with very weak endpoints & flawed trials We all need better drugs but dont me more "me to drugs " which are more expensive or drugs which…	Nuanced	82
Miloš Miljković @miljko	they’re good data Viney	Positive	72
Abdulrahman AL-Abdulmalek, MD @dralabdulmalek	🩸 Daratumumab in High-Risk Smoldering Myeloma (AQUILA Trial) 🩸 SubQ daratumumab reduced progression at 24 months: •6.7% vs. 29.6% with monitoring (HR 0.28) •ORR: 41.7% \| ≥VGPR: 20% •Deaths: 2 (dara) vs. 5 (monitoring) Early intervention s…	Neutral	68
Eduardo Anguita, MD, PhD @AnguitaMandly	One of those eternal questions. One additional point is the first line treatment after progression of SMM under Dara treatment: Daratumumab or Active Monitoring for High-Risk Smoldering Multiple Myeloma \| New England Journal of Medicine	Neutral	45
Arturo LoAIza-Bonilla, MD MSEd @DrBonillaOnc	That’s the absolutely best take 🎯	Positive	42

See full AQUILA conference coverage & trial data →

Trial 2 · NCT03710603

What do oncologists think of the PERSEUS trial (DARZALEX®)?

PERSEUS — Transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (daratumumab + VRd induction/consolidation, then daratumumab–lenalidomide maintenance)

FDA APPROVED · Jul 2024DARZALEX FASPRO® with VRd (bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone) is FDA-approved (July 30, 2024) as induction and consolidation for transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, based on PERSEUS.

Physicians are broadly favorable, with real nuance on PERSEUS: 42% of 26 verified physician voices positive, 12% nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 46% neutral, 0% critical.

42%

12%

46%

Positive 42% Nuanced 12% Neutral 46% Critical 0%

Denominator: 26 distinct verified physician voices across 85 oncologist posts, 2023-11-21 to 2026-06-14. Sponsor: European Myeloma Network (in collaboration with Janssen)

See full PERSEUS conference coverage & trial data →

Primary sources: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT03710603 · FDA — PERSEUS transplant-eligible NDMM approval (Jul 2024)

FDA approval (July 30, 2024): daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj with bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone for transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (based on PERSEUS, NCT03710603).

Physician voices — verbatim

Representative positive voice

Thanks @Dr_AmerZeidan for inviting me to present on current treatment of myeloma at the New England Hematologic Malignancies Symposium. A simplified algorithm of frontline therapy today. Big changes.

Vincent Rajkumar

@VincentRK

Representative nuanced voice

#ASH23 Late Breaking Abstract 1 PERSEUS Newly-Diagnosed Myeloma RCT 709 patients Dara-VRd vs VRd - 48-month PFS rates 84.3% vs 67.7%, HR 0.42, p<0.001 - OS: D-VRd 34 deaths [9.6%]; VRd, 44 deaths [12.4%] (immature) https://t.co/lLudIrZTP0 #mmsm

Eddie Cliff

@Eddie_Cliff

Full physician voice list (26)

Physician	Comment (verbatim)	Sentiment	Impressions
Eddie Cliff @Eddie_Cliff	#ASH23 Late Breaking Abstract 1 PERSEUS Newly-Diagnosed Myeloma RCT 709 patients Dara-VRd vs VRd - 48-month PFS rates 84.3% vs 67.7%, HR 0.42, p<0.001 - OS: D-VRd 34 deaths [9.6%]; VRd, 44 deaths [12.4%] (immature) https://t.co/lLudIrZT…	Nuanced	31,156
Saad Z. Usmani MD MBA FACP 🇺🇸🇵🇰 @szusmani	As promised, here is my best of #mmsm #ASH23 picks. Clinical Abstracts Validation of GRIFFIN trial by Phase III Perseus Trial in transplant eligible NDMM: Dara-RVd is here to stay. (https://t.co/k9gSJevvjr) #ASH23	Neutral	28,747
Vincent Rajkumar @VincentRK	Thanks @Dr_AmerZeidan for inviting me to present on current treatment of myeloma at the New England Hematologic Malignancies Symposium. A simplified algorithm of frontline therapy today. Big changes.	Positive	18,710
Mohamad Mohty @Mohty_EBMT	Summary of the PERSEUS trial to be presented at #ASH23 These results further support the use of this regimen. (LBA-1 Phase 3 Randomized Study of DARA+VRd Vs Vrd Alone in Pts with NDMM Who Are Eligible for ASCT) @COMyCongress @TheIACH @Mohty…	Neutral	8,612
Raj Chakraborty @rajshekharucms	PERSEUS➡️Important to note that NO signal for increased early mortality from toxicity with Dara-VRd compared to VRd. OS curves trending in the right direction (similar to CASSIOPEIA)! These data further prove that V is probably the safest …	Neutral	8,029
Al-Ola A Abdallah MD (USMIRC) @Abdallah81MD	🚨New update of our New algorithm ; How I treat Newly diagnosed Myeloma: If Fit/Transplant Eligible (Both High & Standard Risk): Dara/RVD x 4 cycles followed by Mel/ASCT followed by consolidation Dara/RVd X 2 cycles followed by maintenance …	Positive	7,733
Ben Derman @bdermanmd	PERSEUS MRD Data: Maintenance upgraded MRD(-) responses up to 2-3 years later, and appears to be more profound with Dara-R maintenance. Dara-VRd/Dara-R doubled chances of reaching MRD negativity & sustaining it. I am more convinced of bene…	Positive	7,616
Samer Al Hadidi, MD,MS,FACP @HadidiSamer	#ASH23 #mmsm LBA PERSEUS study Will follow this with detailed thread from the publication I think this is important work overall with use of Quad in transplant eligible young pts with no evidence of Dara-R maintenance being superior to …	Positive	4,595
Joshua Richter, MD, FACP @JoshuaRichterMD	AEs & QOL Key takeaway: manageable AE profiles w/ quads → preserved QOL Safety analysis: Tolerable AE profiles support use of upfront quad tx for appropriate pts w/ TE NDMM NCCN GLs #MMBrief #MMSM. ⁦@SoMeCME⁩	Neutral	3,131
Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP @RahulBanerjeeMD	Open question: what changes once SQ isatuximab approved? Comparing CD38-VRd between GMMG-HD7 ( @RaabMarc @EliasKarlMai et al) & PERSEUS, one difference is no post-ASCT consolidation in HD7 - unclear if will be different in real life. Anyt…	Neutral	2,990
Noopur Raje @NoopurRajeMD	Unprecedented results with a Quad upfront as shown in the Perseus study.. a new standard of care for #mmsm	Positive	2,939
Daniel Sherbenou, MD, PhD @DanielSherbenou	Thanks for sharing Ben, not convinced by this - the rate of MRD negativity improves over time in both arms to very similar percentages (first graph), just like Griffin. The Dara benefit appears to happen early…Rev maintenance improves MRD r…	Positive	2,465
Rafael Fonseca MD 🦔🇺🇸🏜🇲🇽 @Rfonsi1	PERSEUS by cytogenetic risk. All subsets benefit but greater in standard risk. A reminder that if something is good the benefit will be maximal in not high risk patients. PFS for std risk is quite impressive for dara arm. #IMS24RF #mmsm	Nuanced	2,244
Manni Mohyuddin @ManniMD1	Bortezomib+len maintenance has never had good data, and I would much rather now offer dara+len as per PERSEUS (for those who I wonder need more maintenance such as +1q with residual dis etc) rather than bortezomib+len (with all the toxicity…	Positive	1,499
Ankit kansagra @kansagramd	New IMS/IMWG NGS-based risk criteria from the PERSEUS study showed daratumumab benefit across both high- and standard-risk multiple myeloma patients, supporting broader efficacy regardless of risk status. #mmsm #ASCO26 This is a great reas…	Neutral	1,473
Rémy Duléry @RemyDulery	#ASH23 Late-breaking abstract LBA-1 - Pieter Sonneveld et al. Important results of the PERSEUS trial just published @NEJM These randomized phase 3 results support D-VRd followed by D-R maintenance as a new standard of care for transplant-…	Positive	1,076
Chan Cheah @chanyooncheah	The only time I see myeloma abstracts: late breakers. This one looks pretty good though Peter Sonneveld reports the PERSEUS RCT of data-VRd vs VRd followed by transplant - improved PFS, CR and MRD negativity rates - a new SOC? Another sequ…	Nuanced	944
Mike Thompson, MD, PhD, FASCO @mtmdphd	#ASCO24 #mmsm #IDonc @DrOlaLandgren reviews IMROZ BENEFIT PERSEUS #PrecisionMedicine #mmMRD	Neutral	934
Elias K. Mai MD @EliasKarlMai	Not to speak about the centers (mostly academic in PERSEUS vs. small+large sites in Germany in HD7) which brings us finally to differences between patient populations in these two studies.	Neutral	802
Hamza Hashmi @hhashmi87	#IMS25: late breaking abstract: PRO and HRQOL better in patients achieving MRD neg responses in Perseus and Cephesus for NDMM; there is value in pushing quads in these patients. Can we apply the same for DaraTecVR in MAJesTEC-5 w G3 infect…	Neutral	752
Meral Beksac @mbeksac56	Watch out for long term results of CASSIOPEA with specific data on Dara maintenance arm soon to be published	Neutral	626
Jesús G Lugo @LugoMd	Starting strong the late breaking abstract session, Pieter Sonnenveld presenting the PERSEUS trial in NDMM for pts eligible for ASCT, stating that Dara-VRd is the new standard of care #ASH23 curious to know what my myeloma friends think @Ab…	Positive	476
Henry C Fung\| MM, lymphoma, leukemia & CART @HenrychihangFu1	One of the most important lessons from PERSEUS: 📌 MRD negativity is a milestone. 📌 Sustained MRD negativity is the destination. The next generation of studies may be judged less by CR rates and more by how many patients remain MRD-negati…	Neutral	272
Victor H Jimenez-Zepeda @vhugo8762	PRO’s and safety in NDMM patients achieving MRD negativity in PERSEUS and CEPHEUS! #IMS2025	Neutral	246
Juan Esteban Vélez, MD @JuanesVelezMD	Perseus subanalysis for on deepening the response and MED negativity during maintenance DVRd vs VRd, maintenance with DR Both in high risk MM & regular risk MRD positive, PFS was better with DR maintenance ➡️ era of dual maintenance?	Positive	198
Binod Dhakal @bhemato	Great analysis as always by @End_myeloma ! While we await the granular data from those trials, both PERSEUS and LTFU of Cassiopea confirms the benefit of dara during induction, and if not on induction, def during maintenance:)	Positive	162

See full PERSEUS conference coverage & trial data →

Trial 3 · NCT02541383

What do oncologists think of the CASSIOPEIA trial (DARZALEX®)?

CASSIOPEIA — Transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (daratumumab + VTd induction and consolidation)

FDA APPROVED · Sep 2019DARZALEX® with VTd (bortezomib, thalidomide, dexamethasone) is FDA-approved (September 26, 2019) as induction and consolidation for transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, based on CASSIOPEIA.

Physicians are broadly favorable, with real nuance on CASSIOPEIA: 21% of 29 verified physician voices positive, 17% nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 55% neutral, 7% critical.

21%

17%

55%

Positive 21% Nuanced 17% Neutral 55% Critical 7%

Denominator: 29 distinct verified physician voices across 105 oncologist posts, 2019-06-14 to 2025-09-18. Sponsor: Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome / HOVON (in collaboration with Janssen)

See full CASSIOPEIA conference coverage & trial data →

Primary sources: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT02541383 · Genmab / FDA — CASSIOPEIA transplant-eligible NDMM approval (Sep 2019)

FDA approval (September 26, 2019): daratumumab with bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone for transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (based on CASSIOPEIA, NCT02541383).

Physician voices — verbatim

Representative positive voice

#Myeloma Paper of the Day: Long-term follow-up of Phase III CASSIOPEIA trial confirms Dara maintenance is superior to observation (HR 0.49; p<0.0001), and now shows that D-VTd + Dara maintenance is better than D-VTd w/o maintenance (HR 0.76; p=0.048): https://t.co/EkMGiduEgh.

Robert Z. Orlowski

@Myeloma_Doc

Representative nuanced voice

To dara or not to as maintenance? The Cassiopeia trial update is out! Among Dara-treated patients in induction, Dara maintenance offered some benefit over placebo with 6 years f/u. HR (0.76) is similar to ixazomib vs maintenance (0.72). But… https://t.co/ojp03gjMFk

Ben Derman

@bdermanmd

Representative critical voice

I agree with most of this nice thread Super unethical to not give the control arm len The bar for maintenance has to be OS with appropriate post protocol therapy. There's a time toxicity to non pill maintenance. Dual maintenance should only happen in a randomized study I need… https://t.co/uPnKv5akxq

Vinay Prasad MD MPH

@VPrasadMDMPH

Full physician voice list (29)

Physician	Comment (verbatim)	Sentiment	Impressions
Manni Mohyuddin @ManniMD1	A critical appraisal of the long-term follow-up of CASSIOPEIA trial, daratumumab maintenance, and maintenance in general. An educational thread. 1/🧵 #mmsm Non-paywalled link to pub: https://t.co/giloFSdKRR	Neutral	63,352
Luciano J Costa @End_myeloma	Some considerations on long-term follow-up of the CASSIOPEIA randomised controlled phase 3 trial - The Lancet Oncology 1/x	Neutral	21,001
Vinay Prasad MD MPH @VPrasadMDMPH	I agree with most of this nice thread Super unethical to not give the control arm len The bar for maintenance has to be OS with appropriate post protocol therapy. There's a time toxicity to non pill maintenance. Dual maintenance should on…	Negative	19,369
Ben Derman @bdermanmd	To dara or not to as maintenance? The Cassiopeia trial update is out! Among Dara-treated patients in induction, Dara maintenance offered some benefit over placebo with 6 years f/u. HR (0.76) is similar to ixazomib vs maintenance (0.72). Bu…	Nuanced	12,438
Raj Chakraborty @rajshekharucms	PERSEUS➡️Important to note that NO signal for increased early mortality from toxicity with Dara-VRd compared to VRd. OS curves trending in the right direction (similar to CASSIOPEIA)! These data further prove that V is probably the safest …	Neutral	8,029
Robert Z. Orlowski @Myeloma_Doc	#Myeloma Paper of the Day: Long-term follow-up of Phase III CASSIOPEIA trial confirms Dara maintenance is superior to observation (HR 0.49; p<0.0001), and now shows that D-VTd + Dara maintenance is better than D-VTd w/o maintenance (HR 0.76…	Positive	3,374
Joshua Richter, MD, FACP @JoshuaRichterMD	Extremely thought provoking data from Cassiopeia. Although not exactly congruent with US based treatment approaches, should patients now receive dara maintenance (along with revlimid) regardless of induction? #mmsm #myeloma	Nuanced	2,811
Daniel Sherbenou, MD, PhD @DanielSherbenou	Thanks for sharing Ben, not convinced by this - the rate of MRD negativity improves over time in both arms to very similar percentages (first graph), just like Griffin. The Dara benefit appears to happen early…Rev maintenance improves MRD r…	Positive	2,465
Rafael Fonseca MD 🦔🇺🇸🏜🇲🇽 @Rfonsi1	“More territory to cover” is key here. Len helped, a lot, but patients had significant residual disease. Nowadays probable less so At the risk of sounding like a broken record. It is all about the number needed to treat (NNT) #finishthejob…	Nuanced	2,007
Muzaffar Qazilbash @Transplant_Doc	CASSIOPEIA Trial: Dara-VTD vs. VTD, then dara maint. vs. observation in TE NDMM. Median F/U from 2nd randomization: 70 months. Longer PFS with dara maint. in both arms. Interestingly, median PFS after Dara-VTD/auto/obs: 72.1 months #mmsm #b…	Neutral	1,294
Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP @RahulBanerjeeMD	#IMS25 very rarely do we see videos in oral presentations, but this one is excellent! Dynamic remodeling of risk in pts with MRD resurgence (➖➡️➕) from CASSIOPEIA by Smit et al. Lots of data about outcomes with sMRD-neg (➖➡️➖)… excellent …	Nuanced	1,277
Vincent Rajkumar @VincentRK	The value of Len as maintenance was well known and standard when Cassiopeia was designed. So the fact they chose to do Dara alone is why this trial is uninterpretable for using Dara instead of or in addition to Len for maintenance.	Negative	830
Hira Mian @HiraSMian	Our study MY13 will hopefully help by clearly asking how much dara is needed 18 month vs indefinite @CDNCancerTrials @MyelomaCanada	Neutral	635
Meera Mohan @MeeraMohanMD	Even in the PERSEUS study MRD to 10-6 ⬆️ from 58%-64% between 24m to 36m while ⬆️ from 44% to 58% between 12-24 m so unsure if there is too much incremental benefit after 24 months . SWOG1803 has all kind of induction so we will have to wa…	Neutral	635
Meral Beksac @mbeksac56	Watch out for long term results of CASSIOPEA with specific data on Dara maintenance arm soon to be published	Neutral	626
Samer Al Hadidi, MD,MS,FACP @HadidiSamer	#IMS24 CASSIOPEIA MRD data #mmsm Notice n of high risk pts is and some died at an earlier time At 48 months, only ~40% of high risk pts remain at risk on KM curve compared to ~60% of standard risk pts ✅ deeper responses with Dara-R main…	Neutral	553
Murali Janakiram @JanakiramMurali	For me the D-VTD curve is impressive. 50% off all drugs after transplant at 6 yrs with no progression events. It would be interesting to see a landmark analysis at 1 and 2 yrs in patients who are MRD negative to see what their PFS is with o…	Positive	457
Dr. Jeffrey Zonder @Amyloid_Planet	Great summary of data. “Optimal” duration and need for partner (ie, Len) still TBD, and - as u of all ppl know & have stated elsewhere - is not going to be 1 size fits all. #myeloma	Neutral	426
Timothy Schmidt, MD @TMSchmidtMD	I hear you. Len alone is still my standard rec. But it's nuanced, and i think that this is more convincing to me than the Cassiopeia update. Wish there were more high risk pts. Also, one shot every 4 weeks for 1-2 years is not that many mo…	Nuanced	303
Alexandros Alexandropoulos @alex_epi_tria	I would consider it in high risk patients	Neutral	209
Binod Dhakal @bhemato	Great analysis as always by @End_myeloma ! While we await the granular data from those trials, both PERSEUS and LTFU of Cassiopea confirms the benefit of dara during induction, and if not on induction, def during maintenance:)	Positive	162
Jaimal Kothari @DrJamKothari	I would have loved to know what DVTD -auto - len maint would have looked like . As that’s what we have reimbursed in the uk	Neutral	148
Craig Cole @CraigEmmittCole	S1803 might give us the answer, eventually….,	Neutral	137
Pedro Las Casas, MD, MBA 🏳️‍🌈🩸 @pedrohlascasas	2- In CASSIOPEIA study we’ve seen that despite protocol used, DRM- showed improved OS/PFS 3- Trials ongoing about changing practice omitting ASCT in MRD- or augmentation in MRD+ like Master2 Trial #MultipleMyeloma @End_myeloma	Neutral	104
Alexandra Martínez-Roca. MD. @AMartinezRocaMD	VTd vs D-Vtd in transplant-eligible patients in newly diagnosed #mmsm patients. CASSIOPEIA trial. 🔹️18-month PFS 92.7% versus 84.6% for D-VTd versus VTd. 🔹️OS D-VTd, 14; VTd, 32; HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23-0.80. #EHA24	Neutral	0
Talbot Alexis @DrAlexisTalbot	MRD neg in cassiopeia study FCM 10-5 44% to 64% with D-VTD #EHA24	Neutral	0
Klaus Metzeler 🇺🇦 @KlausMetzelerMD	CASSIOPEIA trial: Dara-VTd induction and consolidation improves depth of response and PFS over VTd in transplant-eligible MM. Impressive 93% PFS at 18 months. Should this be the new SOC? #EHA24 #EHA2019 @EHA_Hematology presidential session	Positive	0
Dr Timos Papagatsias @_timos_	EHA2019 insights >>> Published by Oncoletter in Vimeo: Philippe Moreau: Daratumumab + Bortezomib/Thalidomide/Dexamethasone (D-VTd) vs VTd CASSIOPEIA* Part 1 Phase 3… https://t.co/l73CdCtctq #EHA24 #LucidQuest #followthepatient #leusm #blood…	Neutral	0
Mateo Mejia @mmejia91	MRD analysis of CASSIOPEIA - Even MRD- patients benefited from Dara addition -> Dara maintenance leading to prolongued MRD - as oposed to single MRD status?. More info for the Dara maintenance converts (including me) @RahulBanerjeeMD #I…	Positive	0

See full CASSIOPEIA conference coverage & trial data →

Trial 4 · NCT02874742

What do oncologists think of the GRIFFIN trial (DARZALEX®)?

GRIFFIN — Transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (daratumumab + VRd quadruplet; Phase 2 signal-generating study)

REGIMEN FDA-APPROVED (via PERSEUS) · Jul 2024The daratumumab + VRd quadruplet GRIFFIN evaluated (Phase 2) is now FDA-approved for transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma — carried by the confirmatory Phase 3 PERSEUS trial (approved July 30, 2024). GRIFFIN itself was signal-generating, not registrational.

Physicians are broadly favorable, with real nuance on GRIFFIN: 40% of 5 verified physician voices positive, 20% nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 40% neutral, 0% critical.

40%

20%

40%

Positive 40% Nuanced 20% Neutral 40% Critical 0%

Denominator: 5 distinct verified physician voices across 16 oncologist posts, 2023-09-14 to 2025-12-05. Sponsor: Janssen Research & Development

Full conference coverage and trial data: KOL Pulse trial profile coming soon.

Primary sources: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT02874742

Physician voices — verbatim

Representative positive voice

Blast from the past, GRIFFIN remains the standout practice changing study — being validated at #ASH23 now with PERSEUS. #mmsm

Saad Z. Usmani MD MBA FACP 🇺🇸🇵🇰

@szusmani

Representative nuanced voice

https://t.co/bI1wbGuzfL The landmark GRIFFIN trial has published its final analysis, including relevant subgroups. Although most subgroups are small, there is a clear indication of overall DVRD dominance, as well as a signal for using Dara as maintenance, especially in…

Alexandros Alexandropoulos

@alex_epi_tria

Full physician voice list (5)

Physician	Comment (verbatim)	Sentiment	Impressions
Ben Derman @bdermanmd	The final GRIFFIN analysis is out! What (else) is there to say that hasn't been? 📜Reminder: Randomized phase 2 design, Dara-VRd/ASCT/Dara-R vs VRd/ASCT/R. #⃣n=207 🥇endpoint: sCR after consolidation (1 sided alpha=0.1) Mid-trial: Dara maint…	Neutral	9,639
Saad Z. Usmani MD MBA FACP 🇺🇸🇵🇰 @szusmani	Blast from the past, GRIFFIN remains the standout practice changing study — being validated at #ASH23 now with PERSEUS. #mmsm	Positive	4,258
Samer Al Hadidi, MD,MS,FACP @HadidiSamer	#ASH25 #mmsm @ASH_hematology Friday satellite program Summary table to induction regiments in transplant eligible myeloma patients	Neutral	2,254
Alexandros Alexandropoulos @alex_epi_tria	https://t.co/bI1wbGuzfL The landmark GRIFFIN trial has published its final analysis, including relevant subgroups. Although most subgroups are small, there is a clear indication of overall DVRD dominance, as well as a signal for using Da…	Nuanced	956
Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP @RahulBanerjeeMD	All points that I’ve wrestled with, except I’d push back slightly on idea that PFS benefits aren’t allowed in Ph2 trials (e.g., GRIFFIN). Here, a 15% ⬆️ in 30-mo PFS is impressive (albeit only if MRD+ after ASCT) - most pts off dara for 4i…	Positive	185

Full conference coverage and trial data: KOL Pulse trial profile coming soon.

Regulatory

DARZALEX® — FDA status

FDA APPROVEDDARZALEX® (daratumumab, intravenous) and DARZALEX FASPRO® (subcutaneous daratumumab plus hyaluronidase) are FDA-approved for multiple myeloma across several settings — from high-risk smoldering disease to newly diagnosed transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible myeloma and the relapsed/refractory setting. Marketed by Johnson & Johnson (Janssen); originated with Genmab. For the full, current list of FDA indications and prescribing information, see darzalex.com or FDA label (DailyMed). KOL Pulse indexes the physician conversation; the label is owned and maintained by the manufacturer.

Frequently Asked

DARZALEX® sentiment — FAQ

AQUILA

What do oncologists think of the AQUILA trial (DARZALEX®)?

Across 60 verified physician voices in KOL Pulse's index for AQUILA, 34% expressed positive sentiment, 8% were nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 53% were neutral, and 5% were critical. Positive voices highlight the first therapy shown to delay progression to active multiple myeloma in high-risk smoldering disease, opening a genuinely new treatment setting; nuanced and critical voices flag whether asymptomatic patients should be treated at all — overtreatment, overall-survival and quality-of-life maturity, risk-model patient selection, and the cost and burden of treating a precursor condition.

Where can I find the AQUILA trial data for DARZALEX® (daratumumab)?

AQUILA is registered as NCT03301220 and studied DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in High-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (subcutaneous daratumumab monotherapy vs active monitoring). For the full AQUILA trial data and conference coverage, see the KOL Pulse AQUILA trial profile at kolpulse.com/kol-pulse-trial-profile-aquila.

PERSEUS

What do oncologists think of the PERSEUS trial (DARZALEX®)?

Across 26 verified physician voices in KOL Pulse's index for PERSEUS, 42% expressed positive sentiment, 12% were nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 46% were neutral, and 0% were critical. Positive voices highlight the progression-free-survival benefit and deep, sustained MRD-negativity from adding daratumumab to VRd — establishing the quadruplet as a new standard for transplant-eligible patients; nuanced and critical voices flag added infection and toxicity risk, the optimal maintenance duration, and how the quadruplet applies to older or frailer patients.

Where can I find the PERSEUS trial data for DARZALEX® (daratumumab)?

PERSEUS is registered as NCT03710603 and studied DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in Transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (daratumumab + VRd induction/consolidation, then daratumumab–lenalidomide maintenance). For the full PERSEUS trial data and conference coverage, see the KOL Pulse PERSEUS trial profile at kolpulse.com/kol-pulse-trial-profile-perseus.

CASSIOPEIA

What do oncologists think of the CASSIOPEIA trial (DARZALEX®)?

Across 29 verified physician voices in KOL Pulse's index for CASSIOPEIA, 21% expressed positive sentiment, 17% were nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 55% were neutral, and 7% were critical. Positive voices highlight the improved depth of response and progression-free survival from adding daratumumab to a transplant-eligible induction backbone; nuanced and critical voices flag the thalidomide-based VTd backbone (less used in the US), the maintenance-strategy question, and overall-survival maturity.

Where can I find the CASSIOPEIA trial data for DARZALEX® (daratumumab)?

CASSIOPEIA is registered as NCT02541383 and studied DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in Transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (daratumumab + VTd induction and consolidation). For the full CASSIOPEIA trial data and conference coverage, see the KOL Pulse CASSIOPEIA trial profile at kolpulse.com/kol-pulse-trial-profile-cassiopeia.

GRIFFIN

What do oncologists think of the GRIFFIN trial (DARZALEX®)?

Across 5 verified physician voices in KOL Pulse's index for GRIFFIN, 40% expressed positive sentiment, 20% were nuanced (praising the result while flagging a caveat), 40% were neutral, and 0% were critical. Positive voices highlight the deep responses and high MRD-negativity that supported adding daratumumab to VRd and motivated the Phase 3 confirmatory program; nuanced and critical voices flag the Phase 2 sample size and the need for the Phase 3 PERSEUS readout before the quadruplet could be considered a standard.

Where can I find the GRIFFIN trial data for DARZALEX® (daratumumab)?

GRIFFIN is registered as NCT02874742 and studied DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in Transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (daratumumab + VRd quadruplet; Phase 2 signal-generating study). KOL Pulse's GRIFFIN trial profile is coming soon.

Regulatory

Is DARZALEX® (daratumumab) FDA approved?

DARZALEX® is FDA-approved. KOL Pulse organizes this page by clinical trial and links out to the manufacturer's brand site and the FDA label for the full, current list of FDA indications and prescribing information — the label is owned and updated by the manufacturer, so we point to it rather than reproducing it.

Methodology

How this index is built

KOL Pulse indexes verbatim posts from verified oncology physicians and rolls sentiment up per clinical trial. Each physician is counted once per trial, at their highest-reach post. Sentiment is classified from the verbatim text (positive / nuanced / neutral / critical), where "nuanced" marks a voice that praises the result while flagging a substantive caveat (immature overall survival, toxicity, or trial-design/selection concerns). Institutional, media, finance, and non-physician accounts are excluded from the denominator. Quotes are reproduced verbatim and attributed to the physician's public post. KOL Pulse organizes this page by clinical trial — the maintainable unit — and links out to the manufacturer's brand site and the FDA label for the full indication list, which the manufacturer owns and updates. Trial efficacy figures are held for medical-expert verification before publication. This page reports the physician conversation; it is not medical advice and does not endorse any product.