Ibrutinib in the Treatment of Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Aim. To estimate ibrutinib efficacy in the treatment of first early CLL relapses and in patients with ≥ 2 lines of preceding therapy. Analysis of treatment results in patients with del(17p) and monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) and ibrutinib safety profile.

Materials & Methods. The analysis included the results of ibrutinib treatment in 31 patients with CLL. Twenty eight patients were treated by bendamustine and fludarabine containing regimens. The median prior treatment lines were 2 (range 1–10). The indications for the treatment initiation were the first early relapse in 51 % of cases (n = 16) and a relapse after 2 and more lines of therapy in 49 % of cases (n = 15). Ibrutinib was administered in mono- (n = 15) and combined therapy (n = 14) as well as in the R-BAC scheme (n = 2). Using FISH analysis del(17p) was found in 9 patients (34 %).

Results. Within the median follow up of 18 months (range 7–42+) the overall survival (OS) rate was reported to be 87 %, and the progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 77 %. The maximum MRD after a year of ibrutinib treatment was observed in case of combination with immunochemotherapy (e.g., R-BAC). Within the period of 18 months OS rate was 100 %, in the patient group with first early relapses and 66 % in the group with a relapse after 2 and more therapy lines (p = 0.02). Within the same examination period PFS was significantly higher (94 %) in the patient group with first early relapses compared to the previously treated patients (60 %) (p = 0.034). The most common adverse events were grade 1–2 purpura (30 %), grade 1–2 diarrhea (10 %), atrial fibrillation paroxysms (10 %) and arterial hypertension (10 %). Severe infectious complications registered in 6 % (n = 3) patients were successfully solved in the course of combined antibacterial and antimycotic treatment.

Conclusion. Ibrutinib was shown to be effective drug for treatment of relapsed CLL. The OS and PFS values were more favourable in patients with first early relapses compared to the patients with relapses after ≥ 2 lines of therapy prior to ibrutinib treatment. The maximum elimination of the tumor clone was observed after combined ibrutinib/immunochemotherapy treatment. The tolerance of ibrutinib was reported to be satisfactory with acceptable toxicity profile. No mortality due to infection complications was observed.

• Elena Aleksandrovna Stadnik VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ им. В.А. Алмазова» Минздрава России, ул. Аккуратова, д. 2, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197341
• N.S. Timofeeva VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ им. В.А. Алмазова» Минздрава России, ул. Аккуратова, д. 2, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197341
• V.V. Strugov VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ им. В.А. Алмазова» Минздрава России, ул. Аккуратова, д. 2, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197341
• A.Yu. Zaritskey VA Almazov National Medical Research Center, 2 Akkuratova str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197341 ; ФГБУ «НМИЦ им. В.А. Алмазова» Минздрава России, ул. Аккуратова, д. 2, Санкт-Петербург, Российская Федерация, 197341

1. Fornecker LM, Aurran-Schleinitz T, Michallet AS, et al. Salvage outcomes in patients with first relapse after fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab for chronic lymphocytic leukemia: the French intergroup experience. Am J Hematol. 2015;90(6):511–4. doi: 10.1002/ajh.23999. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.23999
2. Стадник Е.А., Стругов В.В., Андреева Т.О. и др. Эффективность комбинации бендамустина ритуксимаба в первой линии терапии ХЛЛ: результаты исследования BEN-001. Терапевтический архив. 2017;89(7):57–64. doi: 10.17116/terarkh201789757-64. [Stadnik EA, Strugov VV, Andreeva TO, et al. Efficacy of a bendamustine and rituximab combination in first-line therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Results of the BEN-001 study. Terapevticheskii arkhiv. 2017;89(7):57–64. doi: 10.17116/terarkh201789757-64. (In Russ)] DOI: https://doi.org/10.17116/terarkh201789757-64
3. Стругов В.В., Стадник Е.А., Вирц Ю.В. и др. Значение возраста и сопутствующих заболеваний в терапии хронического лимфолейкоза. Клиническая онкогематология. 2016;9(2):162–75. doi: 10.21320/2500-2139-2016-9-2-162-175. [Strugov VV, Stadnik EA, Virts YuV, et al. Role of Patient’s Age and Comorbidities in Therapy of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Clinical oncohematology. 2016;9(2):162–75. doi: 10.21320/2500-2139-2016-9-2-162-175. (In Russ)] DOI: https://doi.org/10.21320/2500-2139-2016-9-2-162-175
4. Никитин Е.А., Стадник Е.А., Лорие Ю.Ю. и др. Прогностическое значение мутационного статуса генов вариабельного региона иммуноглобулинов у больных хроническим лимфолейкозом, получавших комбинированную терапию флударабином и циклофосфаном. Терапевтический архив. 2007;79(7):66–70. [Nikitin EA., Stadnik EA, Lorie YuYu, et al. Prognostic significance of immunoglobulin variable region mutations in B-CLL patients treated with combination therapy fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide. Terapevticheskii arkhiv. 2007;79(7):66–70. (In Russ)]
5. Thompson PA, Tam CS, O’Brien SM, et al. Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab treatment achieves long-term disease-free survival in IGHV-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2016;127(3):303–9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-09-667675. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2015-09-667675
6. Fischer K, Bahlo J, Fink AM, et al. Long-term remissions after FCR chemoimmunotherapy in previously untreated patients with CLL: updated results of the CLL8 trial. Blood. 2016;127(2):208–15. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-06-651125. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2015-06-651125
7. Robbe P, Ridout K, Becq J, et al. Identifying High-Risk CLL to Predict Early Relapse after FCR Based Treatment Using Whole Genome Sequencing: First Results from the Genomics England CLL Pilot. Blood. 2016;128:2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V128.22.2022.2022
8. Castro JE, James DF, Sandoval-Sus JD, et al. Rituximab in combination with high-dose methylprednisolone for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia. 2009;23(10):1779–89. doi: 10.1038/leu.2009.133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2009.133
9. Cramer P, Fink A-M, Busch R, et al. Second-line therapies of patients initially treated with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide or fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab for chronic lymphocytic leukemia within the CLL8 protocol of the German CLL Study Group. Leuk Lymphoma. 2013;54(8):1821–2. doi: 10.3109/10428194.2013.796050. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/10428194.2013.796050
10. Brown JR. The Treatment of Relapsed Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Hematology. 2011;2011(1):110–8. doi: 10.1182/asheducation-2011.1.110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/asheducation-2011.1.110
11. Tam CS, O’Brien S, Plunkett W. Long-term results of first salvage treatment in CLL patients treated initially with FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab). Blood. 2014;124(20):3059–64. doi: 10.1182/blood-2014-06-583765. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2014-06-583765
12. Zenz T, Busch R, Fink A, et al. Genetics of patients with F-refractory CLL or early relapse after FC or FCR: Results from the CLL8 trial of the GCLLSG [Abstract]. Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 2010;116(21):2427. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V116.21.2427.2427
13. Stilgenbauer S, Zenz T, Winkler D, et al. Genomic Aberrations, VH Mutation Status and Outcome after Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide (FC) or FC Plus Rituximab (FCR) in the CLL8 Trial. Blood. 2008;112(11): Abstract 781. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V112.11.781.781
14. Montserrat E, Dreger P. Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia With del(17p)/TP53 Mutation: Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation or BCR-Signaling Inhibitors? Clin Lymph Myel Leuk. 2016;16:S74–S81. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2016.02.013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clml.2016.02.013
15. Gladstone DE, Blackford A, Cho E, et al. The Importance of IGHV Mutational Status in del(11q) and del(17p) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Clin Lymph Myel Leuk. 2012;12(2):132–7. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2011.12.005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clml.2011.12.005
16. The International CLL-IPI working group. An international prognostic index for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL-IPI): a meta-analysis of individual patient data. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17(6):779–90. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30029-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30029-8
17. Byrd JC, Brown JR, O’Brien S, et al. Ibrutinib versus ofatumumab in previously treated chronic lymphoid leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(3):213–23. doi: 10.1056/nejmoa1400376. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1400376
18. O’Brien S, Jones JA, Coutre SE, et al. Ibrutinib for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia with 17p deletion (RESONATE-17): a phase 2, open-label, multicentre study. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17(10):1409–18. doi: 10.1016/s1470-2045(16)30212-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30212-1
19. Visco C, Finotto S, Pomponi F, et al. The combination of rituximab, bendamustine, and cytarabine for heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory cytogenetically high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Hematol. 2013;88(4):289–93. doi: 10.1002/ajh.23391. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.23391
20. Castegnaro S, Visco C, Chieregato K. et al. Cytosine arabinoside potentiates the apoptotic effect of bendamustine on several B- and T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cells and cell lines. Leuk Lymphoma. 2012;53(11):2262–8. doi: 10.3109/10428194.2012.688200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/10428194.2012.688200
21. Brown JR, Hillmen P, O’Brien S, et al. Updated Efficacy Including Genetic and Clinical Subgroup Analysis and Overall Safety in the Phase 3 RESONATE TM Trial of Ibrutinib Versus Ofatumumab. Blood. 2014;124(21): Abstract 3331. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V124.21.3331.3331
22. Jones J, Coutr S, Byrd JC, et al. Evaluation of 243 patients with deletion 17p chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with ibrutinib: a cross-study analysis of treatment outcomes. EHA Learning Center. 2016;135185: Abstract S429.
23. Burger JA, Keating MJ, Wierda WG. Safety and activity of ibrutinib plus rituximab for patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a single-arm, phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol. 2014;15(10):1090–9. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70335-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70335-3
24. Fraser G, Cramer P, Hallek M, et al. Three-Year Follow-up of Patients With Previously Treated Chronic Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL) Receiving Ibrutinib Plus Bendamustine and Rituximab (BR) Versus Placebo Plus BR. An Update of the HELIOS Study. XVII iwCLL. 2017: Abstract 400.
25. Burger JA, Tedeschi A, Bar PM. Ibrutinib as Initial Therapy for Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(25):2425–37. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1509388. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1509388