Dr. Goy on Research Efforts With BTK Inhibitors in MCL

Andre Goy, MD, MS, chief of the Division of Lymphoma, chairman and director of John Theurer Cancer Center, discusses research efforts with BTK inhibitors in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

At the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting, data with novel combinations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia have shown that patients are still developing resistance, particularly patients with POLG-gamma mutation downstream or PI3K pathway activation, says Goy; these mutations are very complex, but research is being done to address that challenge.

Third-generation BTK inhibitors that are reversible and bind to a different site are emerging in the MCL pipeline, says Goy. These agents have demonstrated activity, as well as proof-of-concept, in patients whose disease has progressed on ibrutinib (Imbruvica).

Combining BTK inhibitors with agents such as venetoclax (Venclexta) in patients whose disease has high-risk molecular features may offer the opportunity for a finite duration of therapy in MCL, concludes Goy.