Research Summary This study1 evaluated the Medicare cost impact of choosing among covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (cBTKis) for treatment-naïve (TN) and relapsed/refractory (RR) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The analysis focused on differences in drug acquisition and management of grade 3 or greater adverse events...

Research Summary Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors have improved the treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Acalabrutinib is a second-generation, highly selective, covalent BTK inhibitor that has demonstrated a high overall response rate (ORR) in relapsed/refractory CLL, including among patients with high-risk features. Acalabrutinib...

Research Summary Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and higher-risk genomic features, such as unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable (IGHV), del(17p) and/or TP53 mutations, and complex karyotype (CK), traditionally have a poorer prognosis, compared to patients without such features. Acalabrutinib, a second-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase...

Research Summary Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are often used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ibrutinib is a covalent BTK inhibitor associated with adverse events (AEs), including cardiovascular toxicities; the incidence of AEs might be in part due to the inhibition of off-target receptor...

Research Summary Acalabrutinib, a next-generation covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, has shown efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In the Phase III, randomized, multicenter, open-label ASCEND trial, acalabrutinib was compared to investigator’s choice of idelalisib plus rituximab (IdR) or...