The FDA has approved Zenbexus (iberdomide) from Bristol Myers Squibb — the first drug in a new class called CELMoDs — for multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood’s plasma cells.
Granted accelerated approval on August 13, 2026, Zenbexus is cleared in a three-drug combination with daratumumab (plus hyaluronidase) and the steroid dexamethasone — a regimen abbreviated ZDd — for adults with multiple myeloma who have had at least one prior line of therapy, meaning it can be used as early as first relapse.
What a CELMoD is
CELMoD stands for cereblon E3 ligase modulator — a next-generation “molecular glue” that harnesses the cell’s own disposal machinery to degrade cancer-driving proteins rather than merely block them. It builds on the mechanism of older drugs like lenalidomide but is designed to be more potent. Zenbexus is the first CELMoD to reach the market.
Why it matters
Multiple myeloma remains incurable and patients typically cycle through many treatments as the disease returns, so new options with fresh mechanisms are valuable — especially ones that can be used earlier in the disease course. As an accelerated approval, continued approval may hinge on confirmatory data. BMS has more CELMoDs behind it: a second, mezigdomide, is under FDA review with a decision expected in 2027.