The Sub-Q Remedy That Lower Hours Off Remedy Time

After adapting to life with a a number of myeloma analysis in 2017, Todd Kennedy turned a difficult life chapter to a renewed sense of function, driving him and his spouse into full-time advocacy for the most cancers group.

Now in his first remission following quadruplet remedy with Darzalex Faspro (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj), he skilled an entire shift from his preliminary intravenous (IV) therapy. The transition to subcutaneous (Sub-Q) administration empowered him to regain management of his schedule and general productiveness

“This lets you put life first and therapy second,” Kennedy mentioned in an interview with CURE.

Most not too long ago, the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) accredited Darzalex Faspro for the therapy of adults with high-risk smoldering a number of myeloma in November 2025.

Within the interview, Kennedy dove into his journey with a number of myeloma analysis and shared how the transition from IV to Sub-Q administration of therapy improved his high quality of life.

CURE: May you talk about your journey with a number of myeloma?

Kennedy: Life is admittedly good, and albeit, it has been even higher by most cancers, not regardless of it, due to the unbelievable folks I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had, and the provision of efficient, tolerable therapy that permits me to have a fantastic high quality of life.

My most cancers journey began utterly out of the blue in December 2017. I used to be a wholesome 52-year-old, possible in the perfect form of my grownup life. I had the again ache that so many people get as we age. I had been going to my native orthopedic physician for steroid photographs that often did the trick. When the ache flared up once more in mid-2017, I went in, and he steered an MRI earlier than giving me one other shot.

The day after Christmas, I returned for the outcomes. My physician was as shocked as I used to be. The report confirmed lesions up and down my backbone and a tumor the dimensions of his thumb on my hip. He mentioned, “I am sorry. You’ve got acquired most cancers.”

That second, I feel each affected person who hears these three phrases experiences, was an out-of-body feeling. Most cancers had by no means been a part of our household story, so we had no thought tips on how to course of the following steps, the place to go for reliable data, or high quality care.

Getting a analysis round Christmas is troublesome as a result of many docs are out of the workplace. However this sudden delay gave us time to do our homework. We stored listening to the identical recommendation: “It’s a must to get to an NCI-designated heart.” Myeloma is advanced, and an professional can really change the course of your care.

I ended up at an NCI-designated heart, Metropolis of Hope. In February 2018, the chief of the myeloma program began me shortly on quadruplet remedy. This was not the usual of care on the time; it was what they have been doing in scientific trials. She noticed its promise. The important thing distinction was the addition of Darzalex [daratumumab].

I had quadruplet remedy for induction, adopted by my stem cell transplant. I have been on upkeep remedy ever since. In November 2018, we declared I used to be in remission. I am nonetheless in my first remission, which I feel speaks to the ability of that preliminary quadruplet remedy mixture.

In 2020, after working full-time within the pharmaceutical trade for 30 years—together with by my first two years of intense induction remedy and transplant—I made a decision to retire. I felt a calling to leverage not solely my skilled expertise but additionally my affected person expertise and give attention to advocacy. My spouse, who’s a author and marketer, joined me. We now work to speed up analysis, enhance the affected person expertise, and assist extra sufferers develop into educated and empowered for higher outcomes. It’s been an unbelievable blessing and a renewed sense of function.

Let’s talk about your expertise with quadruplet remedy, particularly the variations between the IV and Sub-Q administration of Darzalex. How did that have an effect on your high quality of life?

Evaluating the 2 intervals makes the distinction crystal clear. To start with, Darzalex dosing was weekly, then biweekly, then month-to-month. That meant I used to be within the infusion heart on a regular basis. The time burden was unbelievable.

My typical expertise began at dawn. The most cancers heart was an hour and a half away. We would arrive, do labs, see the physician, after which go as much as the infusion heart. After consumption, pharmacy would put together the weight-based IV medicines.

Then got here the pre-meds: They gave me Benadryl and dexamethasone by IV as a result of the Darzalex was IV. They needed to be began one hour earlier than the Darzalex infusion.

The primary dose of Darzalex was seven hours lengthy. It is infused very slowly because of the vital danger of infusion-related reactions, comparable to fever, chills, shortness of breath. Seven hours is brutal, however even after that, it transitioned to a three-hour infusion for many of the first two years.

I used to be decided to maintain working full-time. I would sit there with the bag and pole, attempting desperately to kind on my laptop computer, battling the IV Benadryl attempting to knock me out and the IV dexamethasone attempting to hype me up. I’d typically set off the IV line alarms attempting to maneuver my fingers [on the keyboard].

From dawn to sundown, the day was gone. As a result of the Benadryl would knock me out, I could not drive residence in Los Angeles site visitors. My spouse needed to sacrifice her personal productiveness and take the break day to drive me. This had an oblique however enormous influence on our prices and our household life—our highschool son would come residence to an empty home and wanted pals to drive him to hockey follow. We needed to prepare for folks to return let our canine out.

When folks say the swap from IV to Sub-Q is “only a comfort,” I get upset. It’s a enormous deal. Sufferers should not have to decide on between therapy efficacy and high quality of life.

Are you able to stroll us by what your appointments regarded like when you transitioned to subcutaneous Darzalex, and the way that shift affected your life-style?

In 2020, Darzalex Faspro (the Sub-Q model) modified the sport. The infusion time went from three hours (or an hour and a half on the very finish) to 3 to 5 minutes.

It additionally modified all the therapy mindset. Since Darzalex was now not IV, they mentioned, “Why give the dexamethasone or Benadryl IV?” Now, I take my oral Benadryl, dexamethasone, and Tylenol at residence an hour earlier than I arrive. I are available in, do labs, see the physician, and the pharmacy sends down the fixed-dose of Darzalex Faspro. They offer me the shot, and in three minutes, I’m on the street.

Metropolis of Hope now has “Faspro Friday” as a result of they’ll cycle so many sufferers by. As an alternative of being caught in an infusion chair for 4 or 5 hours, the elevated capability means everyone seems to be out and in a lot sooner.

This shift permits you to put life first and therapy second. That is why real-world information present about 90% of sufferers strongly choose Sub-Q administration over IV. It isn’t simply comfort; it means much less time away from work, much less disruption for caregivers, and a major enchancment in general high quality of life.

References

1. DARZALEX FASPROTM (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) prescribing data. FDA; Nov. 2025.
2. “FDA approves daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj for high-risk smoldering a number of myeloma,” FDA; Nov. 6, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/medication/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-daratumumab-and-hyaluronidase-fihj-high-risk-smoldering-multiple-myeloma