Dr. Kahl Discusses the Potential of Frontline Ibrutinib in MCL

Brad Kahl, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Siteman Cancer Center, discusses the potential of frontline ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Ibrutinib has been a mainstay in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory MCL since its FDA approval in 2013. Currently, ibrutinib is being investigated as a first-line treatment for patients with MCL in the large phase III SHINE trial (NCT01776840). The trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of ibrutinib plus bendamustine and rituximab (Rituxan) in older patients with newly-diagnosed MCL who are not eligible for stem cell transplant. Patients are being randomized to either bendamustine and rituximab plus ibrutinib or bendamustine and rituximab plus placebo.

SHINE has fully enrolled, but no data are available yet. Kahl says that if the trial is positive, it has the potential to change the standard of care for the frontline treatment of older patients with MCL. The trial is expected to read out in 2021.