News

ASH 2021: Pivotal Data on CAR T Cell Therapy and Emerging Construct Presented at ASH

Investigation into the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies has expanded rapidly in recent years, including for hematologic malignancies. Results from several key studies were presented at the 2021 Annual ASH Meeting, which demonstrated the use of these emerging therapies in multiple lines of therapy, new disease states, and using novel constructs to enhance responses.

ASH 2021: Polatuzumab Vedotin Reduces Risk for Disease Progression in Previously Untreated Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

In the phase III POLARIX study, a team of investigators led by LRF Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) member Christopher R. Flowers, MD, MSc of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center compared the efficacy of standard R-CHOP with that of a modified drug regimen, in which vincristine was replaced with the antibody-drug conjugate polatuzumab vedotin (pola-R-CHP).

ASH 2021: Minimal Residual Disease Kinetics Identified as a Predictor of Zanubrutinib-Obinutuzumab-Venetoclax Treatment Response in CLL

Minimal residual disease (MRD) kinetics were found to be predictive of achievement and durability of undetectable MRD with zanubrutinib-obinutuzumab-venetoclax (BOVen) treatment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to trial results presented by LRF grantee Jacob D. Soumerai, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

ASH 2021: High MCL35 Score Is Predictive of Poor Survival in Older Patients with Mantle Cell Lymphoma Treated with Bendamustine-Rituximab

In a study funded in part by LRF and led by LRF Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) member Lisa M. Rimsza, MD, of Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, researchers examined the prognostic value of the MCL35 assay in older patients (aged 65-93) with MCL who were treated with frontline bendamustine (Treanda) plus rituximab (Rituxan).