Updated Findings of Ponatinib/Blinatumomab Combo in Ph+ ALL are Encouraging

Fadi Haddad, MD, leukemia fellow at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the key points from the presentation he gave during the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO 2022).

At SOHO 2022, Haddad provided the results of a phase 2 study which evaluated adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; n = 40), relapsed/refractory Ph+ ALL (n = 14), or chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blast phase (n = 6). The combination of ponatinib (Iclusig®; Takeda) and blinatumomab (Blincyto®; Amgen) was administered to the enrolled patients.

Findings revealed that with this combination, patients with Ph+ ALL had deep responses and durable remissions.

Transcription:

0:08 | The key takeaway message is that for patients with Ph+ ALL treated with intensive chemotherapy combinations, potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors [TKIs] are preferred over first- and second-generation TKIs. Those were treatments that were very effective when they were originally designed, but now we know there are more potent drugs. I will favor using ponatinib rather than first- or second-generation TKIs because most of the patients who relapse have T315I mutations. Using ponatinib can prevent the emergence of this resistant clone.

0:57 | The second recommendation is if [oncologists] are able to access more novel combinations strategies or refer their patients to receive blinatumomab combinations with a TKI, this will offer patients higher chances of success with limited toxicity. Again, we have a short follow-up so far on our study, and we’re reporting 1- to 2-year survival rates, but results look encouraging.