Dr. Flinn on Toxicities With Venetoclax Plus Obinutuzumab in CLL

Ian Flinn, MD, director of the Blood Cancer Research Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the toxicities associated with the combination of venetoclax (Venclexta) and obinutuzumab (Gazyva) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

In a study of safety, efficacy, and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity of the combination of venetoclax and obinutuzumab, patients with previously untreated CLL demonstrated unprecedented MRD negative rates compared to chemo-immunotherapy regimens. The combination was well tolerated, with a favorable benefit/risk profile.

Although there were some toxicities, they did not seem to be synergistic, Flinn says. The most common toxicity in this trial was neutropenia, but that is commonly seen with single-agent venetoclax and is easily manageable. One concern with venetoclax is tumor lysis syndrome, which can be a fatal complication of therapy. There was no clinical evidence of tumor lysis syndrome in this trial, Flinn says.