Overview
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who have been treated with both covalent BTK inhibitors (cBTKi) and BCL2 inhibitors (BCL2i) often face limited treatment options if their disease returns or stops responding to these therapies (relapsed/refractory [R/R] disease). Additionally, recent research has suggested that patients with R/R CLL who have been treated with both a cBTKi and a BCL2i may have poorer outcomes than the broader group of patients who have received both treatments, regardless of whether they have R/R disease.
This study found that patients who had R/R disease after both treatments had shorter response and survival times compared to all patients who received both drugs, regardless of whether they had R/R disease. Many patients were re-treated with the same drug types or received chemotherapy, but outcomes remained poor, especially for patients with R/R disease.
Why this matters
These findings highlight a major unmet need for better treatment options for CLL patients who have already received both cBTKi and BCL2i, especially for patients with R/R disease. The lack of effective therapies for this group underscores the importance of developing new, more durable treatments to improve survival and quality of life for these patients.