February 2020, Vol 11, No 1 | Payers’ Perspectives In Oncology | Including ASH 2019 Highlights

Orlando, FL—A potent, oral small-molecule bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) inhibitor—CPI-0610—improves spleen volume and symptoms when added to the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor ruxolitinib (Jakafi) in ruxolitinib-naïve patients with myelofibrosis. Ruxolitinib is the only FDA-approved treatment for myelofibrosis.

Orlando, FL—The investigational dual-targeted CD38 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy achieved an objective response in more than 90% of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who had received ≥3 previous therapies and whose disease had spread outside of the bone marrow. Furthermore, the therapy cleared extramedullary lesions in almost all patients with these lesions, according to results presented at ASH 2019.

Orlando, FL—Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is now approved as third-line treatment for patients with B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. For some patients, CAR T-cell therapy is a miracle therapy, extending survival and, in some cases, as a bridge to a potentially curative transplant.

At the First Annual Cholangiocarcinoma Summit, presenters discussed recent advances in the management of patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Orlando, FL—The emergence of cellular immunotherapy for a broad array of hematologic malignancies was featured prominently at ASH 2019. The development of adoptive therapy with T-cells that target oncologic malignancies was the subject of the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture “The Long Road to Develop Adoptive Therapy with T Cells That Can Effectively Target Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Other Malignancies,” delivered by Philip Greenberg, MD, Head, Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA.