ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition

Heinz Gisslinger, MD, Medical University of Vienna, discusses the phase III PROUD-PV study, which evaluated ropeginterferon alfa-2b (P1101) for the treatment of polycythemia vera (PV) during the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Treatment with the CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy KTE-C19 showed a complete remission rate of 73% for patients with aggressive, chemorefractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma and transformed follicular lymphoma.

Adding the oral BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (Venclexta) to obinutuzumab (Gazyva) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia is safe and is demonstrating encouraging signs of efficacy.

An induction regimen of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and obinutuzumab (Gazyva) after bendamustine debulking induced a 100% response rate in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Treatment with the BTK inhibitor BGB-3111 had an objective response rate of 96% for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic leukemia.

The investigational Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor acalabrutinib was shown to be well-tolerated in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic leukemia who display intolerance to ibrutinib (Imbruvica).

The combination of the PI3 kinase inhibitor TGR-1202 and ibrutinib demonstrated a high response rate without dose-limiting toxicities for patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma.

John M. Burke, MD, discusses the GOYA study, a phase III study investigating obinutuzumab plus CHOP in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Burke discussed the study during the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Combining obinutuzumab with chemotherapy in the first-line setting reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 34% versus rituximab plus chemotherapy in patients with follicular lymphoma, according to findings from the phase III GALLIUM study.

Michael A. Thompson, MD, PhD, medical director, precision medicine, Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic, Aurora Health Care, discusses some of the recent exciting advancements in the field of multiple myeloma during the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Ibrutinib showed an 89% response rate in both treatment-naïve and relapsed patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma in findings from the longest follow-up to date for the BTK inhibitor.

Lenalidomide as maintenance following first-line immunochemotherapy substantially improves progression-free survival in the treatment of patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The combination of the killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors inhibitor lirilumab with the hypomethylating agent azacytidine was well tolerated and showed early signals of activity in heavily pretreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Treatment with enasidenib was active and was well tolerated in pretreated patients with IDH2-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome, including those who failed hypomethylating agents.

Younger patients with mantle cell lymphoma lived significantly longer and without disease progression or clinical events when they received rituximab maintenance therapy after stem cell transplantation, final results of a randomized trial showed.

Researchers are hopeful that the addition of the investigational agent vadastuximab talirine to standard 7+3 induction therapy may improve survival for patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The CAR T-cell therapy CTL019 demonstrated an 82% complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete blood count recovery rate for pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Mrinal S. Patnaik, MBBS, hematologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses a study investigating SL-401 in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms during the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Constantine Tam, MD, discusses 2 trials investigating BTK inhibitor BGB-3111 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia.

TKIs can safely be stopped or dose-reduced without jeopardizing long-term outcomes for select patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who have obtained a major molecular response.

Brentuximab vedotin induced responses lasting at least 4 months in 56% of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma versus 13% in patients receiving physician’s choice of standard therapies, according to findings from the phase III ALCANZA trial presented at the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting.

CPX-351 may provide a bridge to successful transplantation for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia with limited treatment options.

Anti-CD22 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy induced an 80% complete remission rate among children and young adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, many of whom had prior anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy.

The next-generation BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib produced an objective response rate of 38.1% as a monotherapy for patents with Richter transformation.

Treatment with the combination of nivolumab and ibrutinib showed encouraging activity and safety in a small phase II study of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Richter transformation.

Leonie de Best, MSc2, chief operating officer, SkylineDX, discusses the HOVON-87/NMSG-18 study, which demonstrated the validation of the EMC92/SKY92 signature for elderly patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Andrew R. Branagan, MD, postdoctoral associate in Medicine (Hematology), Yale Cancer Center, discusses the significance of a vaccine developed to better protect patients with multiple myeloma from getting the flu.

Marie Huong Nguyen, MD, assistant professor, Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan Health System, discusses the safety and efficacy of ABL001 as a potential treatment for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.