Articles

The combination of 2 novel agents—umbralisib and ublituximab (U2)—represents a promising new treatment option for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In the phase 3 multicenter clinical trial UNITY-CLL, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer with U2 than with standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy, reported John G. Gribben, MD, DSc, FRCP, Centre Lead, Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, England, at ASH 2020.

The recent FDA approval of the first FGFR inhibitor, pemigatinib (Pemazyre), and the positive results from the phase 3 study of the first IDH1 inhibitor, ivosidenib (Tibsovo), represent major breakthroughs in the treatment of patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare cancer associated with poor outcomes. However, the duration of response with these agents is still relatively short.

Targeted therapy has improved survival for patients with cancer across a broad spectrum of disease sites, but until recently, progress has been slow in the treatment of patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Momelotinib, a selective and orally bioavailable inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) 1, JAK2, and ACVR1, improved overall survival and sustained efficacy outcomes in patients with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis, according to updated findings from the phase 3 SIMPLIFY-1 and SIMPLIFY-2 clinical trials presented at ASH 2020. Momelotinib was of benefit to patients who previously received treatment with ruxolitinib (Jakafi) and those who had not received a JAK inhibitor.

A new step-up dosing schedule with glofitamab, an investigational T-cell engaging bispecific antibody, has demonstrated strong clinical activity, with high complete response rates in patients with hard-to-treat relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to data presented at the ASH 2020 annual meeting.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT). The rate of GVHD is between 34% and 51% within 100 days of undergoing transplant.

Chemotherapy is currently the standard of care for patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC); however, some patients have disease that is refractory to chemotherapy.

Interim analysis of the phase 2 clinical trial of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy as first-line treatment of patients with high-risk large B-cell lymphoma shows that axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) has substantial benefit in patients with unmet medical needs.

Bispecific antibodies are showing promise in patients with hematologic malignancies, notably relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Results from studies of 3 bispecific antibodies were presented at ASH 2020, showing deep and durable responses.

A post-hoc analysis of a pivotal clinical trial presented at ASH 2020 showed that the recently approved belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep), a first-in-class antibody targeting BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen), induced deep and durable responses in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. This analysis of the ongoing, open-label DREAMM-2 study focused on 1-year outcomes based on the number of previous therapies. The results were presented by Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.