BSH 2022 | How targeted therapies are sequenced in CLL
Barbara Eichhorst, MD, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, briefly discusses the sequencing of targeted therapies in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Dr Eichhorst first explains the benefits of using Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and venetoclax, and then goes on to discuss the need to further investigate the sequencing of therapies for relapsed patients and second-line treatment approaches. This interview took place at the 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Society for Haematology (BSH) 2022, in Manchester, UK.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
The sequencing of targeted agents, that’s a very important question because the data we have so far are mostly from those patients who still receive chemoimmunotherapy as frontline treatment. And when we look at those data where patients receive targeted agents from the second-line treatment on and then as a third-line treatment, we see that both ways around show good efficacy data if a BTK inhibitor was given first and then venetoclax on the other way around...
The sequencing of targeted agents, that’s a very important question because the data we have so far are mostly from those patients who still receive chemoimmunotherapy as frontline treatment. And when we look at those data where patients receive targeted agents from the second-line treatment on and then as a third-line treatment, we see that both ways around show good efficacy data if a BTK inhibitor was given first and then venetoclax on the other way around. However, we know that relapses after chemoimmunotherapy tend to be more aggressive. We have more unfair prognostic genetic aberrations. And therefore it’s for us, right now, we need more information at this time point where we are in kind of the luxury position that we have so many patients receiving front-line treatment with targeted agents in remission.And therefore, we have to look now for relapsed treatment and for evaluating an optimal treatment sequence. I think we will have to wait here also for head-to-head comparison trials. And from these trials, one very important question will be, what about second-line treatment? And how do they work in those patients?
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Disclosures
I receive honoraria for presentations and advisory board from several different pharmaceutical companies involved in targeted agents in CLL (Abbvie, BeiGene, BMS, Gilead, Janssen, MSD, Roche).
