Kerry Rogers, MD

Kerry Rogers, MD, hematologist/oncologist, assistant professor, Department of Hematology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–James, discusses the findings observed in the phase 1b study of ianalumab (VAY736) in combination with ibrutinib (Imbruvica) as treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) on ibrutinib therapy.

This therapy was tolerable, which was not surprising as antibodies are generally tolerable, Rogers says. One surprising finding, however, was the number of patients that had elimination of their CLL and were able to stop treatment. Despite this being a phase 1 study, many patients were able to achieve this, according to Rogers. The study was not powered to detect this, but it was great to see that level of efficacy early on, Rogers says.

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Kerry Rogers, MD, discusses the findings observed in the phase 1b study of ianalumab in combination with ibrutinib as treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia on ibrutinib therapy.

Ianalumab Produces Encouraging Early Activity in Phase 1 Study of CLL

Kerry Rogers, MD, assistant professor at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses an important unmet need in patients with hairy cell leukemia. She says it is important to realize, though, that many of these patients receive a single dose of pentostatin or cladribine or a single course and are alive without leukemia recurrence 8 to 10 years later.

For these patients who receive either pentostatin or cladribine, complications can still happen, although hairy cell leukemia, in most cases, will not shorten a patient’s natural life span. One side effect patients experience more frequently is infection, which can be severe or life-threatening. Patients can also develop infection after treatment, especially if they receive treatment with purine nucleoside analogs.

Rogers says that it is important now to find better therapies for patients with hairy cell leukemia that provider better supportive care and management surrounding infection.

Kerry Rogers, MD, discusses an important unmet need in patients with hairy cell leukemia.

Evaluating Safety Concerns in Patients With Hairy Cell Leukemia

Kerry Rogers, MD, assistant professor at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the rationale for evaluating ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in patients with hairy cell leukemia in the phase II trial (NCT01841723).

Ibrutinib is an oral targeted inhibitor of BTK, which has been an important target in hematologic malignancies and the agent has been approved by the FDA in 4 different B-cell malignancies. Rogers notes that patients with hairy cell leukemia who do not respond to purine nucleoside analogs (

) represent an unmet need. This subset of patients includes those

no longer benefit from PNA or are not benefiting as much as physicians would like to see.

Because many therapies that work in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other B-cell cancers work for the treatment of patients with hairy cell leukemia, investigators sought out to evaluate ibrutinib in this patient population as well. Rogers says, CLL and hairy cell leukemia, in particular, have some overlap in terms of therapies that work for these patients. Ibrutinib is both available and potentially effective for patients who may not benefit from chemotherapy, which is why investigators chose this agent to be evaluated in hairy cell leukemia.

Kerry Rogers, MD,&nbsp;discusses the rationale for evaluating ibrutinib in patients with hairy cell leukemia in the phase II trial.

Evaluating the Potential Role of Ibrutinib in Patients With Hairy Cell Leukemia

Kerry Rogers, MD, assistant professor at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses a short-term treatment&nbsp;strategy for&nbsp;reducing tumor burden and the risk for tumor lysis syndrome in patients with&nbsp;chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

This was an analysis of a phase Ib/II study that included brief treatment with&nbsp;obinutuzumab (Gazyva) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica) prior to venetoclax (Venclexta).&nbsp;After 1 month of obinutuzumab,&nbsp;patients had dramatically reduced&nbsp;lymphocyte count.&nbsp;Lymphocytosis&nbsp;wasseen with the addition of ibrutinib,&nbsp;however, the lymphocyte count was nowhere near what it was prior to the patient receiving obinutuzumab, Rogers explains.

Kerry Rogers, MD, assistant professor at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses a short-term&nbsp;treatment&nbsp;strategy for&nbsp;reducing tumor burden and the risk for tumor lysis syndrome in patients with&nbsp;chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Kerry Rogers, MD | Authors

Articles

Ianalumab Produces Encouraging Early Activity in Phase 1 Study of CLL

Evaluating Safety Concerns in Patients With Hairy Cell Leukemia

Evaluating the Potential Role of Ibrutinib in Patients With Hairy Cell Leukemia

Lead-In Treatment to Reduce Tumor Lysis Syndrome Risk in CLL