Dr. James on Update of Ibrutinib for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Danelle James, MD, MAS, head of Oncology at Pharmacyclics, assistant adjunct professor in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Consortium, discusses the RESONATE-2 study of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) versus chlorambucil through 5 years of treatment.

RESONATE-2 is a frontline phase III study comparing ibrutinib with chlorambucil for the treatment of patients 65 or older with active chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). After 29 months of follow-up with these patients, there was continued tolerability with ibrutinib, with 77% of these 70-year-old patients continuing to take ibrutinib daily. About 90% of patients are now progression-free with over 2 years of follow-up.

It is suggested, explains James, that ibrutinib may be even more effective in these high-risk groups than with any traditional chemotherapeutic regimen.