Clinical Trials Look at Promising Treatments in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Michael Wang, MD, a professor in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses current and upcoming treatments being investigated for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

The Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor LOXO-305, as well as the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy JCAR017, look promising in this setting, according to Wang. Another upcoming drug in a currently enrolling trial is VLS-101, a receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1)-directed antibody-drug conjugate from VelosBio in San Diego, California. This treatment has received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations for patients with MCL.

Wang says cirmtuzumab (UC-961), another ROR1 antibody, plus ibrutinib (Imbruvica) are also being investigated for these patients and have shown high response rates including complete responses. This combination is being looked at by the FDA and received an Orphan Drug Designation this year.

Although Wang is worried about CAR T-cell therapies lagging behind in the MCL setting, this disease has natural susceptibility to intervention and may help the previously discussed drugs to be approved.

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