Hematologic Oncology

Brentuximab vedotin showed a 5-year overall survival rate of 41% for patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma, suggesting a cure for some patients.

Adding the anti-CD20 agent obinutuzumab (Gazyva) to CHOP chemotherapy in the frontline setting did not improve progression-free survival compared with the standard regimen of rituximab (Rituxan) plus CHOP in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

After less than a week, the FDA has lifted a clinical hold placed on the phase II ROCKET study that is exploring the CAR T-cell therapy JCAR015 for adult patients with relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The FDA has placed a clinical hold on a phase II study exploring the CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy JCAR015 for adult patients with relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The European Commission has approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) for use as a consolidation therapy following autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma at risk of relapse or progression.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to ibrutinib has a potential treatment for patients with chronic graft-versus-host-disease after failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy.

Although knowledge about the underlying biology of myelodysplastic syndromes has expanded rapidly in recent years, translating those findings into advances in the diagnosis and management of patients remains a significant challenge.

This pilot trial is the first of its type to investigate T cell receptor alpha/beta-depleted and CD19-depleted haploidentical stem cell grafts in relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin demonstrated significantly improved progression-free survival and complete remission rates compared with chemotherapy for patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia who are cured after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation produce antibodies that destroy leukemia cells.

A host of novel agents that target distinct molecular targets are pushing complete remission rates beyond historical boundaries for patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Frontline treatment with the CD33-directed antibody-drug conjugate vadastuximab talirine plus a hypomethylating agent induced deep and durable remissions for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors can safely be halted in select patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia followed a maintained deep molecular remission.

The median overall survival with the anti-CD19 immunotherapy blinatumomab was 7.7 months versus 4 months with standard chemotherapy in patients with Philadelphia chromosome–negative relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to results from the phase III TOWER study.