Dr. Jain on the Efficacy of Ibrutinib/Rituximab in MCL

Preetesh Jain, MD, PhD, clinical fellow in medical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the efficacy of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) plus rituximab (Rituxan) in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Findings from a phase 2 clinical trial (NCT01880567), which were presented during the 2020 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, demonstrated a best overall response rate of 96%, comprising a 66% complete response rate, with ibrutinib/rituximab in previously untreated, older patients with MCL. Additionally, the minimal residual disease–negativity rate at best response was 87%.

Notably, the median age was 71 years (range, 65-84), and some patients had clinically controlled comorbidities that made them ineligible for transplant, Jain explains.

Patients with a low Ki-67 score of less than 30% appeared to derive additional benefit from ibrutinib/rituximab compared with patients whose Ki-67 score was 30% to 50%, Jain says. However, the differences in progression-free survival and overall survival were not statistically significant between these groups, Jain concludes.