Overview
- In CLL, a 909-patient randomized trial found fixed-duration venetoclax-based combinations were non-inferior to continuous ibrutinib for progression-free survival at a median 34 months.
- Complete responses and undetectable measurable residual disease were markedly higher with fixed-duration regimens, whereas no patients on continuous ibrutinib achieved undetectable MRD.
- Overall adverse events were comparable in CLL, with more cardiovascular events on prolonged ibrutinib and higher severe infection risk associated with obinutuzumab, including shorter PFS in aggressive disease subsets.
- In Ph+ ALL, a 236-patient phase III trial showed ponatinib plus blinatumomab improved event-free survival (87% vs 71%) and lowered deaths (3.5% vs 10%) compared with imatinib plus chemotherapy at about 23 months.
- The chemo-free Ph+ ALL regimen yielded higher complete remission (94% vs 79%) and MRD-negativity, and 37% of control patients who crossed over achieved MRD-negative status, with most deaths occurring in older patients and infections a leading cause.