ESH CLL 2022 | Treatment approaches to idelalisib-refractory CLL

Sigrid Skånland, PhD, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, discusses a recent study which investigated the effects of treating idelalisib-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with other PI3 kinase inhibitors. Dr Skånland first mentions some of the PI3 kinase inhibitors that were investigated in this study, including idelalisib, duvelisib, umbralisib, and copanlisib, and the methodology used. Following this, Dr Skånland explains some results, including the activity of these agents and the benefits of combining venetoclax with PI3 kinase inhibitors in idelalisib-refractory CLL patients. Dr Skånland then shares some results from a case study where drug sensitivity testing was conducted on a patient with unmutated immunoglobin heavy chain gene (IgHV) and TP53 mutation and found that this patient’s CLL cells still responded to venetoclax combined with idelalisib. To conclude, Dr Skånland mentions the importance of drug sensitivity testing in guiding personalized treatment in CLL. This interview took place during the 2nd ESH Translational Research Conference on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (ESH CLL), 2022.