HEMATOLOGY

Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus bendamustine, followed by obinutuzumab alone has been approved by the FDA as a treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma who were not responsive to a rituximab regimen, or who relapsed after rituximab-based therapy.

In this article, Shipra Gandhi, MD, Pallawi Torka, MD, and Francisco J. Hernandez Ilizaliturri, MD summarize the current clinical development of these novel agents in lymphoid malignancies.

Blinatumomab (Blincyto), an anti-CD19 agent, had a 69% response rate in patients with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), according to updated data from a phase I, open-label, multicenter study.

The FDA has handed down a breakthrough therapy designation for midostaurin (PKC412) as a potential treatment for adults with newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The FDA has announced a full clinical hold for trials exploring pacritinib following reports of patient deaths. These deaths stemmed from intracranial hemorrhage, cardiac failure, and cardiac arrest in the phase III PERSIST-2 trial.

Single-dose fosaprepitant dimeglumine (Emend for injection) in combination with antiemetic agents has been approved by the FDA for the preventing

Peter Martin, MD, discusses the evolving paradigm of treatment for mantle cell lymphoma. Martin says the evolution of the paradigm currently includes Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor, immunomodulatory treatments, and immunotherapies.

The FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to Venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents in patients with treatment-naive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are not eligible for standard high-dose induction treatment, according to AbbVie, which is codeveloping the BCL-2 inhibitor with Genentech.

Diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is pivoted around cytogenetic analysis of patient bone marrow or peripheral blood cultures. The World Health Organization classification of tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues is based on cytogenetic features along with other clinical, morphological, and immunophenotypic characteristics.

Anthony Mato, MD, MSCE, director of the CLL Program, University of Pennsylvania, discusses the difference between intolerance and resistance when giving patients with chronic lymphotic leukemia ibrutinib.

Carfilzomib (Kyprolis) has been approved by the FDA in combination with either dexamethasone or lenalidomide plus dexamethasone for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma following prior treatment with 1 to 3 lines of therapy. The approval is based on findings from the phase III ENDEAVOR trial.

​John McCarty, MD, medical director, Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Virginia Commonwealth University Health, discusses advice physicians can give to patients with lymphoma seeking stem cell mobilization.

The FDA has designated the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax as a breakthrough therapy for use in combination with rituximab (Rituxan) to treat patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Ofatumumab (Arzerra) has received FDA approved for the extended treatment of patients with recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Patients eligible to receive the treatment must show complete or partial response following at least two lines of therapy.

A new retrospective study claimed a rarity of cytogenetic and molecular monitoring exists among patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treated in a community setting; however, one researcher is challenging that claim.

Venetoclax has been granted priority review status by the FDA for use in adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) following at least 1 prior therapy. This patient population includes those with a 17p deletion (del[17p]), according to codevelopers of the BCL-2 inhibitor AbbVie and Genentech.

Patrick Johnston, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses a phase I study that incorporated belinostat with standard CHOP chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Johnston says the goal of the trial was to discover the maximum tolerable dose. He said there were no additional significant toxicities in patients and the combination was well-tolerated.

Kathryn Kolibaba, MD, discusses results from the phase II trial dubbed Pyramid Trial. The open-label trial examined a combination of R-CHOP and bortezomib in patients with untreated non-germinal center B-cell-like subtype diffuse large cell lymphoma.

Betty Hamilton, MD, discusses TET2 mutations in molecular mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) on allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant outcomes.

With numerous newly approved drugs for patients with early-stage multiple myeloma reaching the clinics, understanding what drugs, combinations, and sequences to use has become an important area of research. Several recent studies have demonstrated increased efficacy with nominally increased adverse events in these triplet arms.

Researchers discovered that pregnancy while in remission of Hodgkin lymphoma does not increase the risk of cancer relapse, making this report the first largest study to specifically examine the impacts of pregnancy as a potential trigger for relapse in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors.

Farhad Ravandi, MD, Professor in the Department of Leukemia, MD Anderson Cancer Center‎, discusses minimal residual disease. Ravandi says historically, MRD has shown a resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Neal Young, MD, discusses the advancement of treatment for aplastic anemia. Young said aplastic anemia used to kill almost all patients diagnosed with the disease within a year.

Jeffrey Jones, MD, discusses small molecule inhibitors of B-cell receptor signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Amy Johnson, PhD, discusses the overall high response rates in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to a new novel bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor called acalabrutinib (ACP-196).