Dr. Kahl on the Potential for Frontline BTK Inhibitor Combinations in MCL

Brad S. Kahl, MD, professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, Oncology Division, Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discusses the potential utility of BTK inhibitor–based combinations in the frontline setting of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Ongoing research efforts in MCL have the potential to affect frontline treatment options, particularly for older patients where the current standard of care remains bendamustine plus rituximab (Rituxan; BR), Kahl says.

For example, 2 clinical trials evaluating BR plus ibrutinib (Imbruvica; NCT01776840) or acalabrutinib (Calquence; NCT03623373) are ongoing to determine whether up-front BTK inhibition is beneficial for patients with MCL, Kahl explains. Data from these studies are pending but will shed light on whether adding a BTK inhibitor to frontline BR improves outcomes and is tolerable among patients with MCL. Until these data emerge, this combination strategy should be reserved for clinical trials, Kahl concludes.