Blood
-
Multicenter Study
Phase 1 study of the selective BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib in B-cell malignancies and safety and efficacy evaluation in CLL.
Zanubrutinib is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK). In this first-in-human, open-label, multicenter, phase 1 study, patients in part 1 (3 + 3 dose escalation) had relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies and received zanubrutinib 40, 80, 160, or 320 mg once daily or 160 mg twice daily. Part 2 (expansion) consisted of disease-specific cohorts, including treatment-naive or relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). ⋯ Estimated progression-free survival at 12 months was 100%. Zanubrutinib demonstrated encouraging activity in CLL/SLL patients, with a low incidence of major toxicities. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02343120.
-
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is an uncommon hematologic malignancy with poor outcomes. Existing data on the clinical behavior of BPDCN are limited because reported outcomes are from small retrospective series, and standardized treatment guidelines are lacking. The interleukin-3 cytotoxin conjugate tagraxofusp was recently tested in phase 1/2 trials that led to US Food and Drug Administration approval, the first ever for BPDCN. ⋯ We also identified disease responses to pralatrexate and enasidenib in some patients. This study highlights poor outcomes for patients with BPDCN in the modern era and the need for new treatments. Outcomes from ongoing clinical trials for BPDCN can be evaluated relative to this contemporary cohort.
-
Arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid have become the frontline treatments for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Despite the long wait for an oral arsenic drug, a commercially available agent, realgar-indigo naturalis formula (RIF), was not launched in China until 2009. ⋯ The promising results promote incorporating an outpatient postremission therapy model into clinical practice for both low-risk and high-risk APL patients in China. In this review, we discuss the evolution of oral arsenic RIF in the treatment of APL, with a special focus on how to address the related complications during induction therapy.
-
Multicenter Study
Daratumumab plus carfilzomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) have limited treatment options and poor survival outcomes. The increasing adoption of lenalidomide-based therapy for frontline treatment of multiple myeloma has resulted in a need for effective regimens for lenalidomide-refractory patients. This phase 1b study evaluated daratumumab plus carfilzomib and dexamethasone (D-Kd) in patients with RRMM after 1 to 3 prior lines of therapy, including bortezomib and an immunomodulatory drug; lenalidomide-refractory patients were eligible. ⋯ Median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached; 12-month PFS rates were 74% for all treated patients and 65% for lenalidomide-refractory patients. D-Kd was well tolerated with low neutropenia rates, and it demonstrated deep responses and encouraging PFS, including in patients refractory to lenalidomide. The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01998971.
-
Multicenter Study
Short regimen of rituximab plus lenalidomide in follicular lymphoma patients in need of first-line therapy.
The SAKK 35/10 phase 2 trial, developed by the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research and the Nordic Lymphoma Group, compared the activity of rituximab vs rituximab plus lenalidomide in untreated follicular lymphoma patients in need of systemic therapy. Patients were randomized to rituximab (375 mg/m2 IV on day 1 of weeks 1-4 and repeated during weeks 12-15 in responding patients) or rituximab (same schedule) in combination with lenalidomide (15 mg orally daily for 18 weeks). Primary end point was complete response (CR)/unconfirmed CR (CRu) rate at 6 months. ⋯ Addition of lenalidomide to rituximab significantly improved CR/CRu rates, PFS, and TTNT, with expected higher, but manageable toxicity. The excellent OS in both arms suggests that chemotherapy-free strategies should be further explored. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01307605.