Pieter Sonneveld

Pharmacotherapy and multiple myeloma

Pieter (P.) Sonneveld

E-mail: p.sonneveld@erasmusmc.nl

Scopus: link

PubMed: link

LinkedIn: link

Contact: secretariat, secretariaat.psonneveld@erasmusmc.nl

Pieter Sonneveld is Professor of Hematology at the Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands. From 2011 to 2017 he has been the head of the department of Hematology. He received his medical degree from the Erasmus University Rotterdam and completed his PhD at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, and worked subsequently at the National Cancer Institute in the United States for 2 years.

He is vice-chairman of the HOVON Myeloma Working Group and coordinates HOVON and EMN clinical trials. Professor Sonneveld helped to found the European Myeloma Network and has been  chairman since. Within EMN, he coordinates a cooperative network for independent clinical trials in Europe. EMN currently runs international trials and registration trials for novel treatments.

He has been Board member and President (2017-2019) of the European Hematology Association EHA, and chair of its Scientific Working Group Committee. He has chaired the Scientific Program Committee of the 19th EHA congress in Milan 2014 and of the EMN Myeloma meetings in 2018 and 2021.

He serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the IMF and MMRF and is a member of the International Myeloma Working Group. Dr Sonneveld has been a member of many Editorial Boards and has authored more than 500 peer reviewed scientific publications and several book chapters. He has received numerous grants for his research.

In 2015 he was awarded the international Robert Kyle Award in Multiple Myeloma. In 2019 he received the Hubertus Wald Award for Cancer Research from Germany and in 2022 he received the International Waldenström Lifetime Achievement Award, this award is given by the International Myeloma Society.


Our research

Since 2005 the focus of Dr Sonneveld’s research has been on Multiple Myeloma. From 2007, 19 novel medications have come available for this disease, adding therapeutic value to previous treatments with alkylators and stem cell transplantation. The main research questions of the group in Erasmus MC have been related to the mechanisms of action and (acquired) resistance in patients. During these years, Dr Sonneveld and staff have been coordinators and project leaders of many HOVON and EMN trials with novel agents such as Proteasome Inhibitors (PI), Immune-modulatory agents (IMiDs), anti-CD38 antibodies (Daratumumab, Isatuximab) and more recently T-Cell re-direction therapies (CAR-T cells and anti-BCMA Bispecifics). The Erasmus MC laboratory has been a central lab for these trials and has collected an extensive biobank of primary samples from patients in these trials (Dr M. van Duin).

Our clinical research has focused on prospective phase 3 trials comparing novel agents with standard of care. The involved clinical staff includes Dr A. Broijl, Dr R. Wester and Dr C. Steege. Many of the trials were performed in HOVON and/or the European Myeloma Network, in collaboration with other national groups. Examples are HOVON 24(double vs single autologous transplantation), Hovon95 (Bortezomib vs Thalidomide), EMN017 (Daratumumab added to chemo vs standard chemo), EMN028 (CAR-T vs autologous transplant), EMN030 (Teclistamab maintenance) and others. Additional projects focus on large meta-analyses (Bortezomib, Thalidomide, Harmony database) and prognostic variables (FISH, imaging, cellular biology).

 

The translational and biologic research is conducted in close collaboration with Dr T. Cupedo, who is head of the laboratory for Myeloma Research. The translational studies focus on analyzing the role of the inflammatory micro-environment in the bone marrow during the course of the disease and the interaction with drug therapy and specific novel agents. This part of the research is performed with a consortium of myeloma research group in Europe, through exchange of samples obtained from the clinical trials. (see also T. Cupedo).


Our team

Pieter Sonneveld, principal investigator

Jasper Koenders, research technician

Michael Vermeulen, research technician

Arnoud van den Berg, analist

Lizzy Bestebreur, analist

Ramona Eysbach, analist

Naomi Leeuwestein, analist

Kim Verhagen, analist

Mark van Duin, postdoc

Marjolein Appelman, PhD student

Kiara Verver, intern

Alumni

Huda Yasmine


Key publications

Ludwig H, Terpos E, van de Donk N, Mateos MV, Moreau P, Dimopoulos MA, Delforge M, Rodriguez-Otero P, San-Miguel J, Yong K, Gay F, Einsele H, Mina R, Caers J, Driessen C, Musto P, Zweegman S, Engelhardt M, Cook G, Weisel K, Broijl A, Beksac M, Bila J, Schjesvold F, Cavo M, Hajek R, Touzeau C, Boccadoro M, Pieter SonneveldPrevention and management of adverse events during treatment with bispecific antibodies and CAR T cells in multiple myeloma: a consensus report of the European Myeloma Network. Lancet Oncol. 2023 Jun;24(6):e255-e269.

 

Pieter Sonneveld, Chanan-Khan A, Weisel K, Nooka AK, Masszi T, Beksac M, Spicka I, Hungria V, Munder M, Mateos MV, Mark TM, Levin MD, Ahmadi T, Qin X, Garvin Mayo W, Gai X, Carey J, Carson R, Spencer A. Overall Survival With Daratumumab, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone in Previously Treated Multiple Myeloma (CASTOR): A Randomized, Open-Label, Phase III Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Mar 10;41(8):1600-1609.

 

D'Agostino M, Cairns DA, Lahuerta JJ, Wester R, Bertsch U, Waage A, Zamagni E, Mateos MV, Dall'Olio D, van de Donk NWCJ, Jackson G, Rocchi S, Salwender H, Bladé Creixenti J, van der Holt B, Castellani G, Bonello F, Capra A, Mai EK, Dürig J, Gay F, Zweegman S, Cavo M, Kaiser MF, Goldschmidt H, Hernández Rivas JM, Larocca A, Cook G, San-Miguel JF, Boccadoro M, Pieter Sonneveld. Second Revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS) for Overall Survival in Multiple Myeloma: A European Myeloma Network (EMN) Report Within the HARMONY Project. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Oct 10;40(29):3406-3418.

 

Hofste Op Bruinink D, Kuiper R, van Duin M, Cupedo T, van der Velden VHJ, Hoogenboezem R, van der Holt B, Beverloo HB, Valent ET, Vermeulen M, Gay F, Broijl A, Avet-Loiseau H, Munshi NC, Musto P, Moreau P, Zweegman S, van de Donk NWCJ, Pieter Sonneveld. Identification of High-Risk Multiple Myeloma With a Plasma Cell Leukemia-Like Transcriptomic Profile. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Sep 20;40(27):3132-3150. 

 

Moreau P, Hulin C, Perrot A, Arnulf B, Belhadj K, Benboubker L, Béné MC, Zweegman S, Caillon H, Caillot D, Corre J, Delforge M, Dejoie T, Doyen C, Facon T, Sonntag C, Fontan J, Mohty M, Jie KS, Karlin L, Kuhnowski F, Lambert J, Leleu X, Macro M, Orsini-Piocelle F, Roussel M, Stoppa AM, van de Donk NWCJ, Wuillème S, Broijl A, Touzeau C, Tiab M, Marolleau JP, Meuleman N, Vekemans MC, Westerman M, Klein SK, Levin MD, Offner F, Escoffre-Barbe M, Eveillard JR, Garidi R, Ahmadi T, Krevvata M, Zhang K, de Boer C, Vara S, Kampfenkel T, Vanquickelberghe V, Vermeulen J, Avet-Loiseau H, Pieter Sonneveld. Maintenance with daratumumab or observation following treatment with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone with or without daratumumab and autologous stem-cell transplant in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (CASSIOPEIA): an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2021 Oct;22(10):1378-1390. 

 

Pieter Sonneveld, Dimopoulos MA, Beksac M, van der Holt B, Aquino S, Ludwig H, Zweegman S, Zander T, Zamagni E, Wester R, Hajek R, Pantani L, Dozza L, Gay F, Cafro A, De Rosa L, Morelli A, Gregersen H, Gulbrandsen N, Cornelisse P, Troia R, Oliva S, van de Velden V, Wu K, Ypma PF, Bos G, Levin MD, Pour L, Driessen C, Broijl A, Croockewit A, Minnema MC, Waage A, Hveding C, van de Donk NWCJ, Offidani M, Palumbo GA, Spencer A, Boccadoro M, Cavo M. Consolidation and Maintenance in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Sep 14:JCO2101045. 

 

Dimopoulos MA, Terpos E, Boccadoro M, Delimpasi S, Beksac M, Katodritou E, Moreau P, Baldini L, Symeonidis A, Bila J, Oriol A, Mateos MV, Einsele H, Orfanidis I, Ahmadi T, Ukropec J, Kampfenkel T, Schecter JM, Qiu Y, Amin H, Vermeulen J, Carson R, Pieter Sonneveld; APOLLO Trial Investigators. Daratumumab plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone versus pomalidomide and dexamethasone alone in previously treated multiple myeloma (APOLLO): an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2021 Jun;22(6):801-812.

 

Moreau P, Attal M, Hulin C, Arnulf B, Belhadj K, Benboubker L, Béné MC, Broijl A, Caillon H, Caillot D, Corre J, Delforge M, Dejoie T, Doyen C, Facon T, Sonntag C, Fontan J, Garderet L, Jie KS, Karlin L, Kuhnowski F, Lambert J, Leleu X, Lenain P, Macro M, Mathiot C, Orsini-Piocelle F, Perrot A, Stoppa AM, van de Donk NW, Wuilleme S, Zweegman S, Kolb B, Touzeau C, Roussel M, Tiab M, Marolleau JP, Meuleman N, Vekemans MC, Westerman M, Klein SK, Levin MD, Fermand JP, Escoffre-Barbe M, Eveillard JR, Garidi R, Ahmadi T, Zhuang S, Chiu C, Pei L, de Boer C, Smith E, Deraedt W, Kampfenkel T, Schecter J, Vermeulen J, Avet-Loiseau H, Pieter Sonneveld. Bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone with or without daratumumab before and after autologous stem-cell transplantation for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (CASSIOPEIA): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study. Lancet. 2019 Jul 6;394(10192):29-38.