Potential Mechanisms of Partial/Transient Response or Resistance to Daratumumab Therapy: A Focus on Anti-Daratumumab Antibodies and Urinary Daratumumab Loss

Daratumumab, a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting CD38, is widely used in multiple myeloma and AL amyloidosis. Despite its clinical success, many patients fail to achieve durable responses or relapse, underscoring the importance of understanding resistance mechanisms. Drawing on experience from other better-studied monoclonal antibodies, resistance to daratumumab can be categorized into four main mechanisms: (1) reduced CD38 expression on plasma cells; (2) increased expression of complement inhibitory proteins (CD55/CD59), impairing complement-mediated cytotoxicity; (3) reduced drug bioavailability due to urinary loss in non-selective nephrotic syndrome; and (4) the development of neutralizing anti-daratumumab antibodies. Anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) may represent a potential mechanism of treatment failure through effects on pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety, even in patients on daratumumab therapy. Seven different trials have tested anti-daratumumab antibodies. Among them, anti-daratumumab antibodies were identified in only 0-2.4% of patients, and only in a small portion of these has it been proven to be neutralizing. Overall, ADAs appear rare, but these findings are likely underestimated due to short follow-up and suboptimal timing of assessment. In conclusion, standardized ADA monitoring, particularly months after treatment interruption or in cases of inadequate response or infusion-related reactions, may improve patient management and therapeutic outcomes.