Dr. Kolibaba on Entospletinib Activity in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Kathryn Kolibaba, MD, co-chair, Hematology Research Committee, US Oncology Research, discusses a phase II study of entospletinib (GS-9973) in the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Entospletinib is a selective inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), which mediates B-cell receptor signaling in normal and transformed B cells. This pathway has been the central focus in several types of B-cell hematologic malignancies, including MCL. In the current study, entospletinib was well tolerated and demonstrated modest activity in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL. These results come from a larger study that broadly assessed the safety and activity of entospletinib in patients with relapsed and refractory hematologic malignancies.

Kolibaba is encouraged by the modest activity and the safety profile demonstrated by entospletinib in this patient cohort, as the agent may have a future role in combination with other drugs in the treatment of patients with MCL.