HEMATOLOGY

Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus chlorambucil has been approved by the FDA as a first-line treatment for patients with CLL, based on clinical trial data demonstrating that the combination more than doubled median PFS over the chemotherapy agent alone.

A phase III EPIC trial exploring ponatinib (Iclusig) in untreated patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has been discontinued. The decision comes following a high occurrence of arterial thrombotic events, according to a statement released by Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the company developing the drug.

In an updated analysis of the phase III MM-003 trial, Celgene International Sarl, the makers of pomalidomide, reported on a new progression-free survival (PFS) analysis and final overall survival (OS) in September 2013.

Ari M. Melnick, MD, from Weill Cornell Medical College, comments on emerging therapies for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma.

A Q&A with Jennifer Brown MD, PhD, director of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

Mark Weiss, MD, from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, gives an overview of agents in development for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Several oral drugs are in development for both non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). “There is different activity in different lymphoma types with different oral drugs and antibodies in development,” said Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD.

Manish Sharma, MD, from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, comments on the use of pomalidomide in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

A Q&A with Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, medical oncologist specializing in lymphoma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City.

The monoclonal antibody ofatumumab (Arzerra) has received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA that could allow for earlier use in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a joint announcement released by GlaxoSmithKline and Genmab, who are developing and distributing the drug.

Following a positive interim analysis, a phase III study of the PI3K-delta inhibitor idelalisib in combination with rituximab (Rituxan) has been stopped.

The FDA has placed a partial hold on the clinical development of the BCR-ABL inhibitor ponatinib (Iclusig), following the high occurrence of arterial thrombosis in patients treated with the drug.

Volasertib (BI 6727) is a potent and selective inhibitor of PLK1 in vitro that is currently being evaluated for its therapeutic potential to target the cell cycle.

Jennifer Woyach, MD, discusses peripheral lymphocytosis in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) following treatment with ibrutinib.

The FDA has granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation to the novel PLK1 inhibitor volasertib in combination with LDAC for its potential as a treatment for patients with untreated AML who are ineligible for intensive remission induction therapy.

Valentin Goede, MD, Department I of Internal Medicine and Center of Integrated Oncology Cologne-Bonn, University of Cologne, Germany, discusses the findings of the phase III CLL11 trial.

Jennifer Woyach, MD, discusses the benefit of a combination therapy with ibrutinib for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Over the past two decades, there has been a shift away from indiscriminate cell-killing by anticancer agents toward the development of more specific drugs that target key aspects of cancer cell biology.

Craig L. Tendler, MD, discusses the mechanism of action of ibrutinib in various tumor types.

Daniel H. Fowler, MD, discusses the challenges of graph-versus-host-disease (GVHD) in patients with high-risk lymphoma.

The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to inhibit BCR-ABL protein in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is one of the major milestones in modern oncology.

Clinical study results presented at the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting may offer new hope for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Catherine Bollard, MBChB, MD, from the Baylor College of Medicine, discusses T cells and TGF-beta in Hodgkin's lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Paul A. Bunn, Jr, MD, from the University of Colorado, discusses afatinib for patients with activating epidermal growth factor receptor mutation.

Carol Aghajanian, MD, from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the difficulties with a gold standard clinical trial endpoint in ovarian cancer.