Dr. Elias Jabbour on Blinatumomab for ALL

Elias Jabbour, MD, associate professor, department of leukemia, division of cancer medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses blinatumomab (Blincyto) for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

Blinatumomab was approved for ALL in December 2014. The agent is a novel bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) antibody specific to CD19 and CD3. The approval was based on a phase II trial, which demonstrated a complete remission (CR) rate of 32% for a median duration of 6.7 months, according to the FDA. Additionally, the rate of CR or CR with partial hematological recovery (CRh) was 42%.

A follow-up confirmatory study, known as the TOWER study was halted after blinatumomab improved overall survival (OS) versus standard chemotherapy in patients with Philadelphia chromosome—negative relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor ALL.

In a relapsed patient Blinatumomab works very well, says Jabbour.

The drug has also been assed in the minimal residual disease (MRD) setting. Patients who are MRD-positive have poor long term outcomes, says Jabbour.

In a small study, blinatumomab was able to convert 80% of MRD-positive patients to MRD-negative, he says.

Today, in his practice, Jabbour gives all patients blinatumomab before they go for transplantation.