BTK Inhibitors Continue to Improve Survival in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Michael Wang, MD, a professor in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the role of BTK inhibitors as treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) ahead of his presentation at the 2020 SOHO Annual Meeting.

Wang believes the overall survival of patients with MCL will continue to be prolonged. The first approved targeted treatment option in MCL was bortezomib (Velcade), which presented with an objective response rate (ORR) of 32%. Lenalidomide (Revlimid) was the second drug to be approved a few years later in 2013, which had an ORR of 25%.

Ibrutinib (Imbruvica) was later approved for the treatment of patients with MCL. Wang says he had the honor of leading the clinical trial that led to this agent’s approval, which had an ORR of 68% and a complete response rate of 20%. Several years later, acalabrutinib (Calquence) was also approved, which had great survival outcomes as well. Zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) was approved by the FDA, marking the third BTK inhibitor approved for the treatment of MCL.