HEMATOLOGY

Four US studies of BPX-501 have been halted by the FDA after 3 patients developed encephalopathy possibly related to treatment with the novel cellular immunotherapy for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders.

Anna Sureda, MD, PhD, Head of the Clinical Hematology Service at the Institut Català d'Oncologia – Hospitalet de Llobregat in Barcelona, discusses the phase III ECHELON-1 study exploring brentuximab vedotin plus doxorubicin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (A+AVD) versus ABVD in patients with previously untreated stage III or IV Hodgkin lymphoma. 

Phyllis McKiernan, a nurse practitioner at John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack Medical Center, discusses a study of outcomes of autologous stem cell transplantation in very elderly patients with multiple myeloma.

Pfizer has announced that PF-05280586, a biosimilar for rituximab, has delivered positive top-line results, meeting its primary endpoint for overall response rate in the in the phase III REFLECTIONS B3281006 trial for patients with follicular lymphoma.

The Therapeutic Approach for Relapsed CML

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, Chief of the Plasma Cell Disorders Program, Levine Cancer Institute/Carolinas HealthCare System, discusses the MMprofiler in multiple myeloma.

Based on findings from the&nbsp;ALCYONE study,&nbsp;which were published in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em> and presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting,^&nbsp;the FDA has granted a priority review designation to&nbsp;daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with bortezomib (Velcade), melphalan, and prednisone for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

Peter Martin, MD, discusses a phase I, open-label, multicenter trial of oral azacitidine (Vidaza) plus R-CHOP in people with high-risk, previously untreated DLBCL, grade 3B follicular lymphoma, or transformed lymphoma.

The FDA has issued its approval for overall survival data from the&nbsp;phase III ENDEAVOR trial to be added&nbsp;to the&nbsp;carfilzomib (Kyprolis) label&nbsp;for use in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Jane N. Winter, MD,&nbsp;discusses recent updates in the field of follicular lymphoma, the importance of finding ways to identify patient populations, and challenges that still lie ahead.

Peter Martin, MD,&nbsp;assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses a phase I, open-label, multicenter trial of oral azacitidine (CC-486) plus R-CHOP in patients with high-risk, previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, grade 3B follicular lymphoma, or transformed lymphoma.

Mitchell R. Smith, MD, PhD, recently shared both the more and less intensive treatment considerations he makes when treating patients with MCL and the major factors that influence them. Smith explained such considerations based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.

Arsenic trioxide (Trisenox) has been approved by the FDA in&nbsp;combination with the all-trans retinoic acid agent tretinoin for the treatment of adults with newly-diagnosed low-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia with the t(15;17) translocation or <em>PML-RARA</em> gene expression.

Narendranath Epperla, MD,&nbsp;discusses the phase III GALLIUM trial, and the evolving treatment landscape for patients with follicular lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma.

Jane N. Winter, MD,&nbsp;professor of medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, discusses the importance of identifying and treating patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) who experience progression of their disease.&nbsp;

Long-term follow-up results of the FOLL05 trial confirm the efficacy of immunochemotherapy regimens for patients with previously untreated advanced-stage follicular lymphoma, according to findings of a post-hoc analysis recently published in the <em>Journal of Clinical Oncology </em>covering a median 7 years of follow-up.

C. Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with multiple myeloma. Landgren, chief of the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in New York, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology</em>&nbsp;live case-based peer perspectives dinner.