LEUKEMIAS

The American Society of Hematology has announced that James R. Downing, MD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will be awarded the 2017 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize for his discoveries related to the hematopathology and molecular biology of childhood leukemia.

Richard M. Stone, MD, director of the Adult Leukemia Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, medical director of the Leukemia Center at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses sequencing agents in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Gilteritinib has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for adult patients with FLT3 mutation-positive relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia, according to Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma.

Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, MD, PhD, associate member, Malignant Hematology and Immunology Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses how ibrutinib has transformed the treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Results of a small, single-arm study reported at the 2017 Society of Hematologic Oncology meeting showed patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia achieved a high response rate with CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy.

Midostaurin has received approval from the European Commission as a treatment for adults with newly diagnosed <em>FLT3</em>-positive acute myeloid leukemia and advanced systemic mastocytosis, including aggressive systemic mastocytosis, SM with associated hematological neoplasm, and mast cell leukemia.

Understanding of the role of BCL-2 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) continues to evolve, even as BCL-2&ndash;targeted therapy improves outcomes in the disease, AML specialist Daniel Pollyea, MD, MS said at the 2017 Society of Hematologic Oncology Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas.

Initial results from a phase III trial indicated that patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia treated with bosutinib (Bosulif) achieved response faster than patients treated with imatinib (Gleevec).

Efforts to improve outcomes in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia should follow leads provided by next-generation sequencing and appropriate use of minimal residual disease criteria, a pediatric hematologist said at the 2017 Society of Hematology Oncology Annual Meeting in Houston.

A historic approval of the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been issued by the FDA, authorizing the use of tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) for the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory or in second or later relapse.

Results from a recent retrospective study published in the<em> Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>^&nbsp;revealed hospice enrollment is low and use of aggressive treatment is high for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Eunice Wang, MD, discusses a study examining the biology of newly diagnosed patients with <em>FLT3</em>-positive acute myeloid leukemia who achieved a response to the FLT3 TKI crenolanib combined with chemotherapy.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa) has received FDA approval for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), based on findings from the phase III INO-VATE trial.

Development of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies is in the works for both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, but the most promising results to date have been seen with CD19-targeted CAR T cells in the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

CPX-351 (Vyxeos), a fixed-combination of daunorubicin and cytarabine, has been approved by the FDA for adult patients with newly diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC), based on an improvement in overall survival (OS) in a phase III study.

Enasidenib (Idhifa) has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory <em>IDH2</em>-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), based on findings from a phase I/II study. A companion diagnostic, the RealTime IDH2 Assay, was also approved for the detection of the <em>IDH2</em> mutation.

The FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to venetoclax (Venclexta) for use in combination with low dose cytarabine (LDAC) in treatment-na&iuml;ve elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, according to Roche, which is codeveloping the BCL-2 inhibitor with AbbVie.

Midostaurin (Rydapt) has been recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency&#39;s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) to treat adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are FLT3 mutation&ndash;positive.

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 10-0 today to recommend approval of a biologics license application for tisagenlecleucel for the treatment of patients aged 25 or younger with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In a 6-1 vote, the FDA&rsquo;s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted in favor of approving gemtuzumab ozogamicin in combination with daunorubicin and cytarabine for the treatment of patients with newly-diagnosed CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia.

Blinatumomab (Blincyto) has been granted a full approval by the FDA as a treatment for adults and children with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, regardless of Philadelphia chromosome status.

Jeff Sharman, MD, discusses findings of the phase III GENUINE study, which explored the combination of&nbsp;ublituximab (TG-1101) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica) for patients with previously treated high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Subcutaneous rituximab has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of adults with previously untreated and relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and previously untreated and previously treated CLL.

The FDA has scheduled a public hearing of its&nbsp;Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) to address a biologics license application (BLA) for tisagenlecleucel-T (CTL019) for patients aged 3 to 25 years with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The hearing is planned for July 12, 2017.

Jorge Cortes, MD, deputy chair of the Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses initial results from the BFORE trial, which is exploring bosutinib (Bosulif) versus imatinib (Gleevec) for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia.

A new drug application from Jazz Pharmaceuticals has been accepted by the FDA for a novel CPX-351 injection (Vyxeos) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Gail J. Roboz, MD, discusses&nbsp;the recent FDA approval of midostaurin and what else is emerging in the treatment landscape in AML.

Steven Coutre, MD,&nbsp;discusses ongoing efforts to enhance frontline outcomes for patients with CLL.

Richard M. Stone, MD,&nbsp;discusses the impact that midostaurin could have for patients with AML, as well as ongoing research with the agent.