Overview
- In a randomized CLL trial of 909 patients with 34 months’ median follow-up, progression-free survival was about 81% across all arms, meeting non-inferiority for fixed-duration venetoclax-based combinations versus continuous ibrutinib.
- Fixed-duration combinations produced far higher complete responses and undetectable MRD than continuous ibrutinib, including 51.5% and 46.2% CR rates and up to 73% MRD negativity in blood.
- Safety signals varied by approach, with more cardiovascular events on prolonged ibrutinib and higher severe infections associated with obinutuzumab in aggressive CLL, prompting continued follow-up.
- In newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL (n=236), ponatinib plus blinatumomab achieved 87% event-free survival versus 71% with imatinib plus chemotherapy at a 23-month median follow-up and reduced deaths to 3.5% from 10%.
- The chemo-free ALL regimen yielded 94% complete remission and up to 80% MRD negativity after five cycles, incorporated crossover for MRD-positive controls, and was presented at ASH as the CLL study was simultaneously published in NEJM.