Dr. Zelenetz Highlights Studies From the 2012 ASH Meeting

Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, Vice Chair, Medical Informatics, Department of Medicine; Chief, Lymphoma Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the trials investigating ABT-199 and ibrutinib that were presented at the 2012 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting.

ABT-199 is a BCL-2 inhibitor that was analyzed in a phase I study of patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The trial found that ABT-199 showed anti-tumor activity as a monotherapy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, specifically in mantle cell lymphoma. The results, Zelenetz says, will hopefully be able to help the oncology community integrate ABT-199 into future treatment programs.

Ibrutinib, which inhibits the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, has demonstrated activity in large B-cell lymphoma but is not approved. The results of a phase II study examining ibrutinib showed a clinically meaningful response rate in relapsed/refractory activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma but not in other subtypes. Zelenetz says that the results of this study provide an opportunity for future development of this agent and testing in defined populations.

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