Ibrutinib produces rapid and endurable responses. PFS and DOR not reached at up to 44 months -Steven Coutre's Lymphoma & Myeloma 2015 update

[AussieNeil]

'Long-term follow-up of single-agent ibrutinib at the approved dose of 420 mg daily confirms that the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor produces rapid and durable responses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to an update presented at Lymphoma & Myeloma 2015.

At up to 44 months of follow-up, the median duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS) have not yet been reached.

At 30 months, the PFS rate was 96% for treatment-naïve patients and 76% for relapsed or refractory patients. Patients with del 17p had a median PFS of 32.4 months.

“Virtually all the patients do respond to treatment,” said Steven Coutre, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine in California.'

Full article from Hematology Times (free registration)

hematologytimes.com/p_artic...

Neil

[Justasheet1]

Neil,

Great data.

Jeff

[AussieNeil Administrator]

And in related news, if you've been on Ibrutinib for over a year and your lymphocyte count (ALC) remains high, it doesn't mean that you aren't doing well on Ibrutinib, it's just that you have a different flavour of CLL than other patients, or as this Blood Journal paper puts it:"Prolonged lymphocytosis during ibrutinib therapy is associated with distinct molecular characteristics and does not indicate a suboptimal response to therapy"

bloodjournal.org/content/12...

Thanks to member lapermone for bringing this article to my attention.

Neil

[charliegirl in reply to AussieNeil]

Many thanks for posting this info, Neil

Excellent news for those of us who are on ibrutinib.

Charlie Girl

[Jilltap in reply to AussieNeil]

Thank you. I am a slow responder and this info is helpful

[manzelka]

This is good to see as my husband is to start taking Ibrutinib tomorrow.

I am apprehensive about side effects.

[nobby00 in reply to manzelka]

my husband is due to start next ,very hopeful keep us informed

[splashsplash3]

Thanks for this posting Neil, really good to hear that the good news continues past the four year point. Can we use the 'C' word yet - CURE?

I have only been on Ibrutinib on the NHS for six weeks after two previous relapses and two chemo courses of FCR.

After only two hours of taking the first Ibrutinib pill I began to feel a lot better and my Leukaemia cells started to drop virtually immediately and they continue to fall. So far I have no side effects even though after chemo I was expecting the worst.

Now after only a few weeks I have a 'normal' plus amount of energy and I can even cycle up hills and sprint up stairs.

Just a shame Ibrutinib is so expensive because it's the most amazing drug, quite magical.

[tpetro]

Do we have any sense when Ibrutinib will be available as frontline treatment in CLL?