Dr. Choi on Future Research Directions in CLL

Michael Choi, MD, hematologist/medical oncologist, associate professor of medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego Health, discusses future research directions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Developing next-generation BTK inhibitors and PI3K inhibitors will likely benefit patients with CLL, Choi explains. Additionally, encouraging data with noncovalent BTK inhibitors have emerged for patients with CLL who progress on available covalent BTK inhibitors. Noncovalent BTK inhibitors are also being evaluated before patients receive a covalent BTK inhibitor, Choi adds.

Regarding PI3K inhibitors, the efficacy observed with umbralisib (Ukoniq) is representative of the idea that a drug class should not be overlooked even if initial trials of early-generation agents demonstrate limiting toxicities because the field can develop improved methods of mitigating adverse effects and dosing, Choi concludes.