First-Time Treated CLL? Learn About the New Combination of Pirtobrutinib + Obinutuzumab

Dr. Inhye Ahn from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, is conducting a clinical trial utilizing pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca) combined with obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for CLL patients needing treatment for the first time. The course of treatment takes place over the time period of one year and then stops. 

What are Pirtobrutinib and Obinutuzumab?

Pirtobrutinib is a non-covalent BTK inhibitor, recently FDA-approved for the treatment of CLL patients who have previously taken a BCL-2 inhibitor like venetoclax (Venclexta) and a covalent BTK inhibitor like acalabrutinib (Calquence), zanubrutinib (Brukinsa), or ibrutinib (Imbruvica). Pirtobrutinib helped the majority of CLL patients in this setting achieve remission for an average of 12.2 months despite years of prior covalent BTK inhibitor use. 

Obinutuzumab is an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody that kills CLL cells by binding to the CD20 protein on the cell's surface, signaling the body's immune system to target and destroy it. CLL patients often receive obinutuzumab in combination with venetoclax or acalabrutinib. 

If Pirtobrutinib is Used as a First-Time Therapy, Could it Be More Effective? 

Administering pirtobrutinib as a first-time therapy instead of following years of covalent BTK inhibitor use may be a more effective approach, as CLL cells are still sensitive to this type of targeted therapy.  

Additionally, CLL patients have expressed their desire for more fixed-duration therapies. Combining pirtobrutinib with obinutuzumab over one year and then stopping would provide another fixed-duration treatment option to the CLL patient community other than venetoclax + obinutuzumab. 

Join Dr. Ahn’s Study to Receive Pirtobrutinib + Obinutuzumab 

If you are a CLL patient in the Boston area and are interested in helping accelerate research towards the potential approval of pirtobrutinib and obinutuzumab as a first-time and fixed-duration therapy, you are invited to register for Dr. Ahn’s study by clicking here. If you need help identifying your eligibility, contact HealthTree Foundation’s patient navigators by clicking “Chat with Us.” They can help walk you through the signup process to receive this treatment combination. 

Join the HealthTree CLL Chapter to Learn More About CLL and Its Treatments

We invite you to join the HealthTree CLL Chapter by clicking on the button below to gain the benefit of participating in virtual events that cover various CLL topics with experts. 

Click Here to Join the CLL Chapter

Upcoming HealthTree for CLL events include:

• How Can CLL Clinical Trials Help Me? Learn from Dr. Danielle Brander of Duke Cancer Institute on May 6th at 2:00 PM ET 
• Tracking Your CLL Labs in HealthTree Cure Hub on May 7th at 1:00 PM ET
• A Personalized CLL Vaccine: NeoVax with Inhye Ahn, MD Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on May 10th at 2:30 PM ET 
• All About Bispecific Antibodies for CLL with Dr. Adam Kittai on May 13th at 1:00 PM ET
• Relapsed/Refractory CLL Treatment Options with Dr. Kerry Rogers on Jun 25 at 1:00 PM ET