Acalabrutinib vs. Ibrutinib in Previously Treated CLL
In the first head-to-head trial of BTKs in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acalabrutinib demonstrated non-inferior progression-free survival with less cardiotoxicity and fewer discontinuations due to adverse events when compared to ibrutinib, according to findings presented at the ASCO 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting (Abstract 7500). “Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, for a long time, has been treated with chemotherapy,” said study author John C. Byrd, MD, Distinguished University Professor and D. Warren Brown Chair of Leukemia Research at OSUCCC-James. “The introduction of targeted therapies with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib completely changed the landscape of treatment.” Ibrutinib, an irreversible, first-generation BTK, has demonstrated significant benefit over chemotherapy; however, it has a variety of alternative targets that have been associated with toxicity and treatment cessation, Byrd noted.