Dr. Goy on Preliminary Data With Ibrutinib/Venetoclax in Relapsed/Refractory MCL

Andre H. Goy, MD, MS, chief, Division of Lymphoma, chairman and director, John Theurer Cancer Center, discusses preliminary data with the combination of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and venetoclax (Venclexta) in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

BTK inhibitors have changed the paradigm of relapsed/refractory MCL, says Goy. This year, zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) became the third BTK inhibitor to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of adult patients with MCL who have received at least 1 prior therapy.

Now, the field is investigating novel combinations with BTK inhibitors. For example, at the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting, 3-year follow-up data from the phase II AIM trial were presented. Results showed that the rate of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity was 67%. Prior data showed that the 16-week complete remission (CR) rate was 62%. After a median follow-up of 18.5 months, 5 patients who achieved an MRD-negative PET-confirmed CR interrupted treatment. One patient developed progressive disease after 7 months, and the other 4 remained free of clinical or MRD progression after 6, 13, 17, and 18 months off therapy.

Such responses are unprecedented in MCL and could represent the potential for fixed-duration therapy, concludes Goy.