Dr. Raphael on the CLARITY Trial in CLL

Bruce G. Raphael, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health, discusses the phase II CLARITY trial in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The CLARITY trial showed that the combination of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and venetoclax (Venclexta) was safe. The incidence of neutropenia associated with the regimen was well managed by preventing low neutrophils or by using filgrastim (Neupogen), says Raphael. Treatment with the combination also resulted in a high rate of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity.

The results of the trial prompted the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) to evaluate the combination plus obinutuzumab (Gazyva) versus obinutuzumab and ibrutinib. The treatment, which will be sequenced to prevent tumor lysis syndrome, may lead to a higher, and potentially more durable, rate of MRD-negative disease than what had been observed in the CLARITY trial, concludes Raphael.