ASH 2021 | Update on ECOG-ACRIN EA9171: pembrolizumab + TKIs in patients with CML and persistent detectable MRD

Life-long tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is the standard of care treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This treatment is associated with a decreased quality of life (QoL) and only a small percentage of patients are candidates for TKI discontinuation. Previous studies have suggested that CML persistence could be mediated by PD-1 and PD-L1 expression. The ECOG-ACRIN EA9171 study which evaluates the addition of pembrolizumab to TKI therapy in patients with CML and persistent detectable measurable residual disease (MRD) (NCT03516279) was designed based on this data. In this video, Amer Zeidan, MBBS, Yale University and Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, reports the preliminary safety results of this ongoing Phase II trial. Overall, this treatment combination was well-tolerated, with only one grade 3 adverse event resulting in temporary treatment discontinuation. Further results on treatment efficacy and TKI discontinuation are eagerly awaited. This interview took place at the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition congress in Atlanta, GA.