Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

A combination of venetoclax and obinutuzumab, followed by additional cycles of venetoclax, has shown tolerability in elderly patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia with comorbidities, data from the CLL14 trial (BO25323) shows.

Patricia L. Kropf, MD, discusses a combination of decitabine and arsenic trioxide as a replacement for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who cannot withstand induction chemotherapy.

Blinatumomab (Blincyto) as a single agent showed high complete remission (CR), or CR with partial hematological recovery, in adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive and -negative B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

David Steensma, MD, discusses how midostaurin could affect the treatment paradigm for acute leukemia. He says that while midostaurin is not currently approved by the FDA, studies show its potential usefulness when added to conventional induction platforms.

Novel BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax showed a near 80% overall response rate (ORR) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia harboring a chromosome 17p deletion.

Data from a phase III trial shows adding idelalisib to bendamustine and rituximab (BR) dropped the risk of progression and/or death by 67% when compared to BR alone in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The multikinase inhibitor midostaurin (PKC412) has been shown to nearly triple the median overall survival (OS) rates of patients with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in comparison to a placebo, according to the results of the prospective phase III trial CALGB 10603.

Stephen Nimer, MD, leukemia and lymphoma treatment specialist, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, discusses results of a study which examined Musashi2 as a requirement for maintaining activated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cells.

Michael Mauro, MD, discusses the side effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Where once limited treatment options existed for patients with CLL, medical oncologists now have a plethora of agents from which to choose, making disease management in CLL more effective with fewer toxicities.

A supplemental new drug application has been submitted to the FDA for ibrutinib in conjunction with bendamustine and rituximab. The combination would treat patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma.

While CLL patients have lived longer with the use of B-cell pathway inhibitors, they require diligent monitoring and even potential suspension to control adverse events.

The anti-CD22 antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin has been granted breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA as a potential treatment for relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

John C. Byrd, MD, on Hematologic Malignancies in Chicago about novel agents in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia, specifically about the emergence of new targeted therapies, including ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and idelalisib (Zydelig) and what clinicians should know about them.

Relapsed and Refractory CLL with Javier Pinilla-lbarz, MD, PhD and Paul Barr, MD