A promising new treatment option has emerged for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer. The ECHO Phase III clinical trial demonstrated significant benefits of CALQUENCE (acalabrutinib) when combined with standard chemotherapy (bendamustine and rituximab).
CALQUENCE, a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, showed a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the current standard of care. PFS refers to the period during which the cancer remains controlled.
Encouragingly, a trend was observed favoring CALQUENCE plus chemoimmunotherapy for overall survival (OS), a crucial measure of treatment effectiveness. The OS data will continue to be assessed as the trial progresses.
MCL is characterized by the mutation of B-lymphocytes in the mantle zone of lymph nodes. It is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, affecting over 27,500 patients worldwide.
Dr. Michael Wang, the trial’s principal investigator, emphasized the potential of the positive PFS results to redefine the standard of care for MCL patients. By incorporating CALQUENCE into first-line treatment, patients could benefit from its efficacy and safety profile.
Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, highlighted the significant impact of these findings. They demonstrate the potential of CALQUENCE to delay disease progression and extend survival in MCL patients.
The safety profile of CALQUENCE was consistent with previous observations, with no new safety concerns identified.
AstraZeneca is actively investigating CALQUENCE both alone and in combination for various B-cell blood cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, MCL, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. CALQUENCE has been used by over 80,000 patients worldwide and is approved for the treatment of CLL and MCL in multiple regions.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Ferry, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
