ASH 2019 Wrap-up

Insights about real-world clinical experience with new drugs, such as acalabrutinib, are highly valuable. At ASH 2019, researchers evaluated acalabrutinib use in real-world patients with mantle-cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Current treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia are limited by cost, toxicity, and duration of response. In the future, less toxic first-line chemotherapy-free regimens administered for a fixed duration of time may improve outcomes.

Primary analysis results of a phase 1b/2 trial showed obinutuzumab + polatuzumab vedotin + lenalidomide was associated with high complete response rates and a favorable safety profile in heavily pretreated and refractory patients with follicular lymphoma.

Preliminary results of the SEQUOIA trial suggested that zanubrutinib was active and generally well tolerated in treatment-naïve patients with del(17p) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is particularly difficult to treat if the patient becomes refractory to or relapses after initial treatment. Chances of survival are especially poor for people who are not eligible for stem-cell transplant.

Results from TRANSCEND CLL 004 showed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment with lisocabtagene maraleucel in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who had failed ibrutinib was manageable and produced durable undetectable minimal residual disease responses.

Results from the 3-year update of the phase 2 AIM trial confirmed the effectiveness of ibrutinib + venetoclax therapy for patients with mantle-cell lymphoma, and indicated that treatment interruption was feasible for patients in minimal residual disease–negative complete remissions.

A large observational study showed increased first-line bendamustine-rituximab use among older patients with splenic or nodal marginal zone lymphoma was not associated with significant event-free survival or overall survival benefit versus single-agent rituximab, but led to increased toxicities and costs.

Updated results from a phase 1/2 trial indicate that acalabrutinib monotherapy was associated with a favorable safety profile and showed antileukemic activity in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma, irrespective of high-risk genomic features.