Dr. Reem Karmali

 is a disease that “unfortunately still remains incurable, despite our best efforts,” according to 

. However, due to the ever-evolving treatment landscape, new therapies are being offered to patients with relapsed and refractory MCL, including BTK inhibitors. Thanks to these targeted therapies, patients with MCL are living much longer and experiencing a better quality of life.

“BTK inhibitors like (Imbruvica [ibrutinib]) and (Calquence [acalabrutinib]) are very active with response rates from 70% to 80% in the relapsed and refractory (MCL) setting,” said Karmali. “The question is whether these agents can be moved up to the front-line setting and improve outcomes in these patients.”

At the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual (ASCO) Meeting, she discussed the advancements being made in the treatment landscape, the use of targeted therapies to treat MCL and front-line interventions that could potentially fill the unmet needs of patients with MCL.

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Mantle cell lymphoma remains incurable, despite researchers’ best efforts. However, new treatment options show promise in the relapsed/refractory setting and may improve patient outcomes if moved to the front-line, according to Dr. Reem Karmali.

Targeted Therapies for Advanced MCL May Improve Outcomes as Front-line Treatment

Maintenance therapy with Imbruvica (ibrutinib) appeared to be a feasible option for patients with 

At the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, she discusses the study findings and the use of targeted therapies to treat patients with MCL.

“The study shows the toxicity is manageable and in line with what one would expect with (Imbruvica). The key, I think, is going to be longer term follow-up, as well as MRD (minimal residual disease) status in our patients,” said Karmali. “…We hope to show that there’s a benefit to (Imbruvica) maintenance by correlating MRD status with progression-free survival and overall survival. If we can show this, I think it will make the argument that (Imbruvica) maintenance is clinically relevant and ought to be explored further.”

Maintenance therapy with Imbruvica appeared to be a feasible option for patients with mantle cell lymphoma, according to Dr. Reem Karmali.

Dr. Reem Karmali

Targeted Therapies for Advanced MCL May Improve Outcomes as Front-line Treatment

Imbruvica Shows Promise as Maintenance Therapy for Patients With MCL

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