HEMATOLOGY

Routine testing for the presence of TP53 mutations in myeloid neoplasms by sequencing will become an important part of routine care as TP53-targeting agents become available, according to a poster presented at the Association for Molecular Pathology 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo.

Brain A. Jonas, MD, discusses the future of treatment for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, now that the FDA has granted approval to azacitidine plus venetoclax for patients aged 75 years or older.

Nirav N. Shah, MD, discusses bispecific anti-CD20 and anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells in a phase 1 dose escalation and expansion trial for relapsed B cell malignancies.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology following the announcement of the FDA approval of azacitidine plus venetoclax in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, Brian Jonas, MD, provided insight on the VILAE-A study results. He also gave expert advice on how to approach treating older patients with acute myeloid leukemia in every day practice.

A key opinion leader provides insight into recent data updates from ongoing trials studying the management of GvHD with promising regimens. 

Outcomes for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome range from a median of 5.3 years in the lower-risk population to 8.4 months among patient with very high-risk disease. These outcomes are changing as novel therapies for the lower-risk population enter the treatment landscape.

There are several indications for the use of allo-SCT in adults. With the implementation of targeted therapies, these are continuously changing.

Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, discusses how the recently approved combination regimen of decitabine and cedazuridine fits into the treatment landscape for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Two phase 3 clinical trials demonstrated consistent safety findings with the expected safety profile of guadecitabine as treatment of 2 patient populations, including patients with previously treated acute myeloid leukemia in ASTRAL-2 and patients with previously treated myelodysplastic syndrome or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in ASTRAL-3.

Omidubicel as treatment of patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies induced rapid platelet engraftment and a reduction in the number of infections and hospitalizations, meeting all 3 secondary end points of a phase 3 clinical trial.

The FDA granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation to IMGN632 as treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms.

The FDA issued a Complete Response Letter to remestemcel-L for the treatment of pediatric patients with steroid-refractory acute-graft-versus-host disease.

Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD, MSEd, FACP ascended to the presidency of the Pennsylvania Society of Oncology, albeit virtually, during the society’s Annual Scientific Conference held via ZOOM on September 25.

CLR 131, a phospholipid ether molecule, is showing promising disease control in an ongoing phase 2 study as treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia, according to initial study results.

Haris Ali, MD, discussed the case of a 48-year-old patient with acute graft-versus-host disease.

Ian W. Flinn, MD, PhD, discusses the Bruton’s kinase inhibitors available for patients with B-cell malignancies and how they compare.

The 2020 SOHO Annual Meeting held true to the theme of “Molecular Classification and Precision Therapy” with emphasis on novel therapeutic approaches in hematologic malignancies.

The FDA has granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation to magrolimab as treatment of patients with newly diagnosed myelodysplastic syndrome.

Responses were improved for patients receiving treatment with mogamulizumab with the use of concomitant topical steroids compared with the overall study population in the phase 3 MAVORIC study of patients with mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome, according to the results of a post hoc analysis of the study.

Using a modified pediatric regimen to treat adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia led to superior outcomes compared with historical adult ALL regimen results, according to a retrospective analysis that evaluated 95 AYAs aged 14 to 39 years. Findings were presented at the eighth annual Society of Hematologic Oncology virtual meeting.

In the past 5 years, 3 new treatment options have emerged to treat patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia, providing hope for patients with this disease, but also raising clinical questions of how to choose among these agents and what is the best option for the patient at which time.

Patients with myelofibrosis have complicated pathology and multiple pathways, creating the opportunity to use multiple targeted agents for treatment, but also leading to greater potential for resistance to monotherapy, according to Lucia Masarova, MD.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Phillip C. Hoffman, MD, professor of medicine, University of Chicago, and chairperson of ODAC, discussed ODAC operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the most recently meetings and decisions the committee has made to influence treatments options in oncology.