ASCO 2015 Highlights

San Diego, CA—Maintenance therapy with lenalidomide (Revlimid) after frontline chemotherapy markedly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to interim results from a phase 3 study presented at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting.

San Diego, CA—Targeting a second-­generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in mutation-specific chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) led to deep and durable responses that were maintained beyond 3 years in some cases, reported Neil Shah, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine/Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, during a poster presentation at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting.

San Diego, CA—Induction therapy with a liposomal formulation of cytarabine and daunorubicin CPX-351 (Vyxeos) is superior to cytarabine plus daunorubicin (7+3 regimen) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a subgroup analysis of a large phase 3 clinical trial that was presented at the 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting.

The 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting provided insight into new treatment options and mechanism of action choices for hematologic cancers. Health plans need to continue to expand their knowledge and expertise in all cancer types to maintain the ability to manage and apply coverage criteria appropriately as FDA approvals continue to increase in oncology.

San Diego, CA—Although considered a standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, the benefit of autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) has been recently questioned as a result of the rapid expansion of novel treatments.

San Diego, CA—In transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed, advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma, a decision-analytic model showed that chemotherapy with bleomycin, plus etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) maximized life-expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy compared with doxorubicin plus bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) therapy in the first-line setting, reported Abi Vijenthira, MD, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Canada, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting.

San Diego, CA—Filgrastim (Neupogen), a short-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), has helped to manage chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies, but it comes with a hefty price tag. According to a recent study, biosimilars of filgrastim may provide a more affordable option for US payers, suggested Susan Gabriel, Director of Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Frazer, PA, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting.

San Diego, CA—The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) developed frameworks to determine the relative value of novel therapeutic agents. These value frameworks, however, may need to be modified to assess treatments for hematologic malignancies, suggested Matthew C. Cheung, MD, SM, FRCPC, Clinical Hematologist, Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting.