Reporting on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) highlights from the American Society of Hematology meetings, Dr Nicholas Burwick of the Puget Sound Veterans Administration Health Care System discusses studies ranging from first-line treatment to options for relapsed/refractory disease.
Dr Burwick cites a Veterans Health Administration study documenting the increasing movement toward novel agents as frontline treatment in CLL since 2018, and the emerging trend toward use of second-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors.
Next, he discusses a study examining the frontline combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax, which may help overcome poor prognosis associated with unmutated IGHV CLL.
In another study, the combination of venetoclax and ibrutinib was examined in high-risk patients treated with ibrutinib for 1 year. The results showed the combination deepens responses and even offers the potential for discontinuation of therapy.
Turning to relapsed/refractory disease, Dr Burwick highlights the latest results of pirtobrutinib, which continues to show efficacy among heavily pretreated patients regardless of prior therapy, reason for discontinuation, or mutation status.
Finally, he points to zanubrutinib, which demonstrated superiority to ibrutinib in a long-range study of progression-free survival.
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Nicholas R. Burwick, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington; Attending Physician, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Puget Sound VA Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
Nicholas R. Burwick, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.