Dr. Choi on Emerging Treatments in CLL

Michael Choi, MD, a medical staff physician and associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center, discusses emerging treatments in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Combinations with BTK inhibitors, BCL-2 inhibitors, and CD20-directed monoclonal antibodies are being investigated in the frontline setting, says Choi.

In the second-line setting, novel classes of agents such as noncovalent BTK inhibitors could demonstrate utility for patients with BTK alterations since they have distinct binding for BTK, explains Choi. Moreover, these agents could be suitable for patients who progress on ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and want to remain on oral therapy.

PI3K inhibitors such as umbralisib are currently under investigation in combination with ublituximab and venetoclax (Venclexta) in clinical trials in order to optimize the effects of umbralisib in CLL, concludes Choi.