Dr. McKinney on the Expanding Role of BTK Inhibitors in MCL

Matthew S. McKinney, MD, cellular therapy specialist, hematologic oncologist, hematologist (malignant), Duke Health, discusses the expanding role of BTK inhibitors in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Several different BTK inhibitors are available for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory MCL, including ibrutinib (Imbruvica), which exhibited higher response rates compare with other traditional agents. BTK inhibitors are used for patients who have had progression after aggressive up-front chemoimmunotherapy, or autologous stem cell transplant, McKinney explains. When comparing ibrutinib with regimens such as single-agent bortezomib (Velcade), bortezomib plus rituximab (Rituxan), or lenalidomide (Revlimid) plus rituximab, the BTK inhibitor demonstrated favorable overall and complete response rates compared with the other strategies, McKinney says.

More recently, FDA approvals for acalabrutinib (Calquence) and zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) have been granted for patients with relapsed/refractory MCL, McKinney continues. Overall, this is important because if there are adverse effects with ibrutinib, an alternative BTK inhibitor can be selected, McKinney concludes.