Dr. Wierda on Ongoing Research Efforts Examining Fixed-Duration Strategies in CLL

William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, professor, D.B. Lane Cancer Research Distinguished Professor, section chief of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, center medical director, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, and executive medical director, Inpatient Medical Services, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses efforts to examine fixed-duration treatment strategies in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). 

The field has evolved to exploring fixed-duration treatment as a potential path to curative approaches, according to Wierda. For example, the international, multicenter, phase 2 CAPTIVATE trial (NCT02910583) evaluated fixed-duration treatment with the chemotherapy-free combination of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and venetoclax (Venclexta) in patients with treatment-naïve CLL and small lymphocytic lymphoma. Results showed that the approach was feasible, and resulted in high response rates with long remissions expected, Wierda says.

Ongoing efforts are focused on examining other novel combinations with the goal to increase the proportion of patients who have undetectable minimal residual disease, Wierda concludes.