AstraZeneca’s CALQUENCE (acalabrutinib), combined with bendamustine and rituximab, has demonstrated significant benefits for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
In the Phase III ECHO trial, the CALQUENCE regimen improved progression-free survival (PFS) by 27% compared to standard chemoimmunotherapy, with a median PFS of 66.4 months versus 49.6 months.
Additionally, the CALQUENCE combination showed a favorable trend in overall survival (OS) compared to standard therapy. Although the OS data was immature during analysis, the trial will continue to monitor OS as a key endpoint.
Analysis excluding COVID-19-related deaths further enhanced the PFS benefit, with the CALQUENCE regimen reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 36%. The median PFS for this analysis was not reached for the CALQUENCE combination, while it was 61.6 months for standard therapy.
Michael Wang, the trial’s principal investigator, emphasized the potential of the CALQUENCE combination to change the treatment paradigm for MCL, especially for older adults, who constitute the majority of MCL patients.
Susan Galbraith, AstraZeneca’s Executive Vice President of Oncology R&D, highlighted the clinical significance of the ECHO trial results, particularly the substantial increase in PFS and the promising trend in OS. This combination is anticipated to become a valuable new option for MCL patients.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
