HEMATOLOGY

In June 2019, the FDA approved a number of agents many fields, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, small cell lung cancer, gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and multiple myeloma. The FDA also approved the fifth biosimilar for trastuzumab and another biosimilar for bevacizumab across several indications.

Lenalidomide plus standard R-CHOP immunochemotherapy may help select patients with activated B-cell-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who have a poor prognosis, based on data from the phase III ROBUST trial presented at the 2019 International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma.<br /> &nbsp;

Significant activity was observed when ibrutinib was administered concurrently with CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy compared with separately in patients with&nbsp;high-risk relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia who had progressed on or were intolerant of ibrutinib.&nbsp;Data presented at the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma show a high response rate with this concurrent treatment.&nbsp;

Mitchell Smith, MD, PhD,&nbsp;discussed the most recent research and agents under investigation for the treatment of indolent lymphomas. He also highlighted how conversations transpire when discussing the watch-and-wait approach with his asymptomatic patients.

Leukemia

A combination of nivolumab plus brentuximab vedotin was highly active in 73% of patients with relapsed/refractory primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, based on results from the phase I/II CheckMate 436 trial, recently announced during the 15th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma.<br /> &nbsp;