Hematologic Oncology

Infinity Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, Massachusetts, began its efforts to produce innovative cancer treatments 12 years ago.

Headlines from the June meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago announced to the general public what oncologists and hematologists have known for more than two years: sporadic shortages of cancer drugs are forcing suboptimal treatment plans for patients, and government efforts have not filled the void.

The FDA has approved obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil as a first-line treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, based on clinical trial data demonstrating that the combination more than doubled median PFS over the chemotherapy agent alone.

Marketing and commercial distribution of ponatinib has been temporarily suspended, following an ongoing FDA investigation that revealed an increased frequency of arterial thrombosis and severe narrowing of the blood vessels.

At the recent NCCN 8th Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies, Michael Millenson, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discussed considerations in selecting second- and third-generation tyrosine-kinase inhibitors for the management of chronic myelogenous leukemia

Drugs targeting B-cell receptor signaling pathways are improving outcomes for patients with B-cell lymphomas; these novel agents include idelalisib and ibrutinib, and are considered a breakthrough for CLL and other B-cell lymphomas.

The phase III EPIC trial that was exploring ponatinib in untreated patients with chronic myeloid leukemia has been discontinued following a high occurrence of arterial thrombotic events.

A phase III study of the PI3K-delta inhibitor idelalisib in combination with rituximab has been stopped early following a positive interim analysis.

Age is no longer a consideration when determining whether an older patient with blood cancer is a candidate for stem cell transplantation.

The FDA has placed a partial hold on the clinical development of the BCR-ABL inhibitor ponatinib, following the high occurrence of arterial thrombosis in patients treated with the drug.

The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded two major grants totaling $26 million to leukemia researchers and physicians at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

I remember trying to explain to my son when he was in the fifth grade how the genetic code contained in all of our cells is translated, resulting in the various tissues we all possess for daily life

Jennifer Woyach, MD, assistant professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the role of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The novel PLK1 inhibitor volasertib in combination with low-dose cytarabine has received a Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for its potential as a treatment for patients with untreated AML.