EHA 2024: 4 Years on, Ibrutinib + Venetoclax Keeps High-Risk CLL in Remission

CLL specialist Ryan Jacobs, M.D., from Levine Cancer Institute, shared findings with HealthTree at the EHA 2024 conference about the outcomes of the fixed-duration treatment combination ibrutinib and venetoclax for patients with high-risk CLL. Watch his interview or read the summary below. 

What are Ibrutinib and Venetoclax?

Ibrutinib (Imbruvica, Janssen Biotech) and venetoclax (Venclexta, AbbVie) are FDA-approved targeted therapies for CLL, both given as pills. In countries like Europe and Canada, the medicines are approved for CLL patients as a fixed-duration treatment combination. In the United States, these medicines are FDA-approved as individual treatments, not yet in combination. 

How Effective is Combining Ibrutinib with Venetoclax for High-Risk CLL Patients? 

In the phase 2 CAPTIVATE study, CLL patients received ibrutinib and venetoclax for a little over 1 year and then stopped. Four years after stopping treatment, follow-up data showed: 

• 67% of all patients were in remission 
• 96% of all patients were still alive 
• In high-risk CLL groups specifically: 
  • Del(17p)/mutated TP53: 41% of patients were in remission 
  • Complex karyotype: 57% of patients were in remission 
  • Del(11q): 64% of patients were in remission 
  • Unmutated IGHV: 68% of patients were in remission 

With the encouraging findings, Dr. Jacobs hopes a fixed-duration treatment combination of venetoclax and a BTK inhibitor like ibrutinib will become available to CLL patients in the U.S. soon. Click here to learn more about fixed-duration vs. continuous-duration CLL therapies. 

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Source: 

• OUTCOMES IN HIGH-RISK SUBGROUPS AFTER FIXED-DURATION IBRUTINIB + VENETOCLAX FOR CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA/SMALL LYMPHOCYTIC LYMPHOMA: UP TO 5.5 YEARS OF FOLLOW-UP IN THE PHASE 2 CAPTIVATE STUDY