Dr. Beaupre on Ibrutinib in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Darrin M. Beaupre, MD, head of Early Development and Immunotherapy at Pharmacyclics, discusses a trial of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

In a phase Ib/II trial combination of ibrutinib with lenalidomide (Revlimid) and rituximab (Rituxan) was tested in patients with the ABC subtype of DLBCL. Safety was determined first, and then in the phase II portion, the combination was tested at the maximum-tolerated dose. Ibrutinib with lenalidomide and rituximab was well tolerated up to a 25 mg dose of lenalidomide.

In the non-GCB subtype, there was a high overall response rate, and several patients did not have disease progression until after 1 year, says Beaupre.