Dr. Abedin Discusses Key Updates in CLL

Sameem Abedin, MD, assistant professor, Medical College of Wisconsin, discusses key updates in the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Arguably the biggest advancement in this space is the FDA approval of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in the frontline setting, though physicians have been using the BTK inhibitor informally in that setting for some time. This approval signifies significant progress, he adds.

In the relapsed/refractory setting, the efficacy of venetoclax (Venclexta) as a single agent and in combination has generated excitement. The PI3K delta and gamma inhibitor duvelisib (Copiktra) is also FDA approved in the relapsed/refractory setting. Both of these agents are favorable options because they are associated with decent response rates and progression-free survival after disease progression.

However, venetoclax has a slight edge over duvelisib due to the fact that clinical trial data include patients who failed on a BTK inhibitor, Abedin says.