LEUKEMIAS

Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, MD, PhD, senior member of the Department of Malignant Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the current treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Adding the combination of venetoclax (Venclexta) and navitoclax (ABT-263) to chemotherapy induced an objective response rate of 66.7% in adults with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma, according to results from a small phase I study presented at the 2018 SOHO Annual Meeting.

In a presentation during the 2018 SOHO Annual Meeting, Terry J. Fry, MD, discussed some of the data that have been seen so far with CD19- and CD22-direct CAR T cells, and addressed resistance to these products.  

Moxetumomab pasudotox has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia who have received at least 2 prior lines of therapy, including treatment with a purine nucleoside analog.

Minimal residual disease data from the phase III MURANO trial has been added to the label for venetoclax (Venclexta) by the FDA for its approved use in combination with rituximab (Rituxan) for previously-treated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The adoption of intensive pediatric treatment regimens has resulted in improved survival for adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia over the past decade, said Wendy Stock, MD, at the 2018 SOHO Annual Meeting.

Combining cladribine and low-dose cytarabine alternating with decitabine (Dacogen) resulted in high response rates and improved survival compared with currently established low-intensity therapies for patients with acute myeloid leukemia who are older than 60, according to results newly published in <em>Lancet Haematology.</em>

A supplemental biologics license application for dasatinib (Sprycel) for use in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome&ndash;positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been accepted by the FDA.

Blinatumomab (Blincyto) has been approved by the European&nbsp;Commission for the treatment of&nbsp;pediatric patients with Philadelphia chromosome&ndash;negative, CD19-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory or in relapse after receiving at least 2 prior therapies or in relapse after receiving prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Tisagenlecleucel has gained approval from the European Commission as a treatment for adult&nbsp;patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is relapsed or refractory after 2 or more lines of systemic therapy, or patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory, in relapse posttransplant, or in second or later relapse.

Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, MD, PhD, senior member of the Department of Malignant Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the biggest challenge in treating patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

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.

Susan M. O&rsquo;Brien, MD,&nbsp;discusses some of the latest intriguing data in the treatment of CLL, and the growing importance of mutation status.

Danielle Brander, MD,&nbsp;highlights how recent advances are changing the field of CLL and what it means for physicians and their patients.

Guadecitabine failed to improve complete response rate&nbsp;and overall survival&nbsp;in treatment-na&iuml;ve adult patients with AML who are not candidates for intensive induction chemotherapy, missing the coprimary endpoints of the phase III ASTRAL-1, according to&nbsp;Astex Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

Quizartinib has been granted a breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA&nbsp;for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory&nbsp;<em>FLT3</em>-ITD&ndash;positive acute myeloid leukemia.

The FDA issued several approvals in July, including in colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia.&nbsp;Here&rsquo;s a look back on the FDA happenings for the month of July 2018.

Susan M. O&#39;Brien, MD, associate director for clinical sciences at UC Irvine Health, shares her insights on why CAR T cells are not as successful in chronic lymphocytic leukemia as compared to lymphoma or acute lymphocytic leukemia. She also discusses what she believes must change in order for this therapy to move up in the treatment landscape for CLL.

Jacqueline D. Barrientos, MD, MS,&nbsp;discusses the current treatment landscape for CLL. She also highlights some of the biggest challenges for physicians and gave her insight on how to move forward in the field.

Anthony R. Mato, MD, MSCE,&nbsp;discusses the next steps for umbralisib and the biggest challenges still facing patients with CLL.

Ivosidenib (Tibsovo) has been granted approval by the FDA for the treatment of&nbsp;adult patients with relapsed/refractory <em>IDH1</em>-mutant acute myeloid leukemia.

Danielle M. Brander, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and member of the Duke Cancer Institute, discusses a major challenge in the field of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She says the biggest challenge to overcome in the treatment of patients with CLL is navigating areas where research is not yet mature.&nbsp;

While the approval of new agents represents a great step forward in the treatment of&nbsp;chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), physicians are now challenged with how to best utilize these new treatment options,&nbsp;according to a presentation by Anthony Mato, MD, MSCE, at the 2nd Annual Live Medical Crossfire: Hematologic Malignancies.

The FDA has received a supplemental New Drug Application for venetoclax in combination with&nbsp;a hypomethylating agent or low-dose cytarabine as a frontline treatment for&nbsp;patients with acute myeloid leukemia who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, Genentech, the manufacturer of the BCL-2 inhibitor, has announced.

An updated analysis of obinutuzumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy for patients with treatment-na&iuml;ve or relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia detected no new safety signals. Investigators in the phase IIIb GREEN trial also found overall response rates greater than 80% at 3 months post-treatment in some patients.