
Opinion|Videos|May 26, 2025
FDA Approvals of Systemic Therapy for Steroid-Refractory cGVHD
Panelists discuss how FDA-approved therapies such as ibrutinib, ruxolitinib, belumosudil, and axatilimab provide treatment options for steroid-refractory chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD).
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Episodes in this series

Second-Line Therapy and FDA Approvals
This segment reviews FDA-approved systemic therapies for chronic GVHD:
- Ibrutinib (2017): First approval for chronic GVHD after failure of ≥1 line of therapy
- Belumosudil (July 2021): Approved for chronic GVHD after ≥2 prior lines in patients ≥12 years
- Ruxolitinib (September 2021): Approved for chronic GVHD after 1-2 lines in patients ≥12 years
- Axatilimab (August 2024): Approved for chronic GVHD after ≥2 prior lines in adults and pediatric patients ≥40 kg
The panel discusses the long-term follow-up data from the ibrutinib trial, showing 69% overall response rate with higher efficacy in inflammatory features and moderate efficacy in sclerotic features. Common grade 3+ adverse events included pneumonia, fatigue, and diarrhea, with 43% discontinuation due to adverse effects.
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