Dr. Goy on the Combination of Biological Therapies in Relapsed MCL

Andre Goy, MD, chief, Division of Lymphoma, chairman and director, John Theurer Cancer Center, discusses the combination of biological therapies in the treatment of patients with relapsed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

There are 5 approved agents in the relapsed setting with response rates of up to 80%, explains Goy. Acalabrutinib (Calquence) has demonstrated a 40% complete response (CR). Some of these agents have demonstrated a median duration of response of approximately 1.5 years. These agents are very attractive for patients who are chemoresistant, explains Goy.

Unless patients undergo immediate transplant, there is no chance of cure in the relapsed setting. However, when these biological therapies are combined, specifically rituximab (Rituxan) and lenalidomide (Revlimid) or venetoclax (Venclexta) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica), CR rates become more evident.

Goy states that the CR rate with ibrutinib and venetoclax was very impressive. Twelve of 19 patients went into a molecular CR with minimal residual disease negativity. These results give patients who have failed chemotherapy an option with a much better response and subsequent outcome.