Dr. Beaupre on Ibrutinib in Marginal Zone Lymphoma

Darrin M. Beaupre, MD, head of Early Development and Immunotherapy at Pharmacyclics, discusses a trial exploring the efficacy of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL).

Because of the fact that MZL is usually trigged by chronic inflammation, researchers theorized that ibrutinib would be an effective treatment in this disease. A phase II trial led by Ariela Noy, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, enrolled 63 patients with MZL treated with single-agent ibrutinib at 560 mg daily. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) with a secondary endpoint of duration of response.

Results showed that there was a nearly 50% ORR when analyzed by an independent review committee. Additionally, the duration of response was not reached, equating to a significant finding, he adds.