Ask the Nurse: Belantamab mafodotin

Updated: 04/07/2025

Belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep^®) is a treatment for myeloma that has been available through clinical trials and the compassionate use programme in recent years and is now available on the NHS in England (June 2025).

In this month’s blog, we tell you more about belantamab mafodotin and how it works. 

What is belantamab mafodotin?

Belantamab mafodotin is a new type of drug called an antibody-drug conjugate. It is currently approved for the treatment of myeloma in combination with bortezomib (Velcade^®) and dexamethasone (BVD) at second line.

What is an antibody-drug conjugate?

Antibody-drug conjugates have two parts:

• A monoclonal antibody which directs the drug to cancer cells. It is designed to find and attach to a specific protein found on the surface of cancer cells. For belantamab mafodotin, it targets a protein called BCMA, myeloma cells have a lot of BCMA on their surface, while healthy cells have very little.
• A chemotherapy drug to kill cancer cells. This part of the drug only becomes active after the antibody has attached to the cancer cell so it can specifically target them.

How is belantamab mafodotin used?

Belantamab mafodotin is usually given by infusion (drip) into a vein once every three weeks, and the dose depends on your body weight. Treatment is given until the myeloma shows signs of becoming active again, or the side effects cannot be managed.

Why was belantamab mafodotin approved for use?

Belantamab mafodotin was licensed and approved for use based on several clinical trials that have demonstrated its effectiveness in treating relapsed and/or refractory myeloma. These trials showed that belantamab mafodotin has helped to extend remission times for some people living with myeloma.

The clinical trial DREAMM-7 investigated belantamab mafodotin combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone (BVD) – this evidence supported the current approval for use on the NHS in England.

Other clinical trials have contributed to evidence supporting the use of belantamab mafodotin, with some currently investigating the use of the drug as monotherapy (on its own) or in combination with other treatments.

Is belantamab mafodotin available in the UK?

Belantamab mafodotin was approved for use in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone (BVD) by NICE in June 2025. In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) makes decisions about which treatments to fund through the NHS. In October 2025, SMC also approved the use of BVD.

This means the treatment is now routinely available for people living with myeloma in England and Scotland. It is aimed at patients who have who have received one previous line of treatment only, including lenalidomide (Revlimid^®).

In Wales treatments are made available following final guidance from NICE. This approval came with draft guidance. There may be other ways to access BVD such as through a named patient programme or an Individual Patient Funding Request (IPFR). Check with your healthcare team and read more about other ways to access treatment not yet routinely available in our Ask the Nurse: Treatment options blog.

In Northern Ireland, the Department for Health makes decisions on which treatments to fund through the NHS. It can follow guidance issued by either NICE or the SMC but usually follows the guidance issued by NICE. Like Wales, treatments approved by NICE are only made available following final guidance and not draft guidance.

In the meantime, we are working with our clinical community and policy makers in Wales and Northern Ireland to push for access to BVD following NICE draft guidance to ensure equal access as with English patients.

What about eye-related side effects?

You may have heard about eye-related side effects of belantamab mafodotin. This is because damage to the cornea (the transparent layer in front of the eye that covers the pupil and iris) is one of the known possible side effects of belantamab mafodotin – however, in most cases, this can be effectively managed.

For example, lowering the treatment dose or giving the dose less often can resolve or help control any eye-related side effects while maintaining the effectiveness of the treatment.

Patients on belantamab mafodotin treatment will also be advised to use eye drops (called preservative-free artificial tears) at least four times a day and will need to have their eyes checked before starting treatment and regularly during treatment.

Is belantamab mafodotin still available in clinical trials?

Whilst belantamab mafodotin is now routinely available in England in the BVD combination, there are other ongoing clinical trials to assess a wider use of belantamab mafodotin in different combinations and for a broader range of patients. If you’d like to find out more about clinical trials that are currently recruiting, you can check our Myeloma Trial Finder. You can also find out more about anti-myeloma drugs on our Myeloma Drug Tracker.

You can find out more information by downloading our Belantamab mafodotin Horizons Infosheet. It’s always best to discuss treatment options with your healthcare team as they can offer advice specific to your circumstances.

If you have any questions about myeloma treatments, you can get in touch with us through the Myeloma UK Infoline at 0800 980 3332 (UK) or use our Ask the Nurse email service.