Dr. Leslie on Real-World Outcomes of Patients With CLL Treated With Acalabrutinib

Lori A. Leslie, MD, lymphoma attending, John Theurer Cancer Center, discusses a retrospective analysis of real-world patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with acalabrutinib (Calquence).

Acalabrutinib is a next-generation BTK inhibitor that is thought to have less toxicity than the first-generation agent ibrutinib (Imbruvica). In the analysis, investigators evaluated patients who received acalabrutinib due to ibrutinib intolerance, says Leslie.

The results showed that the discontinuation rate in patients who received acalabrutinib was low, suggesting that the agent is a well-tolerated alternative for patients who stand to benefit from the BTK inhibitor. The impact of real-world data is becoming more apparent in oncology, especially in a chronic disease such as CLL where comparative studies take time to mature, concludes Leslie.