23rd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2018)

Vitamin D prognostic for Hodgkin’s disease?

Elvira Manzano, 20180727060000

Vitamin D deficiency in patients with Hodgkin’s disease may be a tell-tale sign of what is forbidding to come: poor progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), according to an analysis of three studies.

Ibrutinib-rituximab combo improves PFS in patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia

Audrey Abella, 20180628110000

The addition of the BTK* inhibitor ibrutinib to the monoclonal antibody rituximab resulted in improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) in treatment-naïve and relapsed patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia (WM) compared with placebo, according to results from the iNNOVATE (PCYC-1127)** trial presented at EHA 2018.

Tisagenlecleucel yields durable responses in DLBCL

Audrey Abella, 20180627110000

The second-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel (CTL019) continues to drive durable responses in pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), according to updated results from the JULIET* trial presented at EHA 2018.

Chemo-free regimen shows promise for follicular lymphoma

Audrey Abella, 20180626110000

A novel, immunomodulatory, chemotherapy-free combination comprising rituximab and lenalidomide (R2) demonstrated similar efficacy with the standard rituximab plus chemotherapy (R-chemo) followed by rituximab maintenance for advanced follicular lymphoma (FL), according to data from the RELEVANCE* trial presented at EHA 2018.

Quizartinib ups survival over salvage chemo in FLT3-ITD+ AML

Pearl Toh, 20180626060010

The selective FLT3* inhibitor quizartinib significantly improves survival compared with salvage chemotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and FLT3-internal tandem duplication (ITD), regardless of prior haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), reveals the QuANTUM-R** study presented at EHA 2018.

Daratumumab improves PFS in elderly patients with multiple myeloma

Roshini Claire Anthony, 20180625140300

The addition of daratumumab to bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) led to improved progression-free survival (PFS) over VMP alone in elderly patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM), reflecting the results of the overall ALCYONE* study population.

Long-term data strengthen obinutuzumab as frontline CLL therapy

Pearl Toh, 20180622180010

A combined regimen of obinutuzumab (a type II anti-CD20 antibody) and chlorambucil shows significant long-term survival benefit over rituximab plus chlorambucil or chlorambucil alone in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and comorbidities who have not been treated previously, according to the final analysis of the CLL11* study presented at EHA 2018.

PET-driven strategy effective, reduces treatment toxicity in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma

Roshini Claire Anthony, 20180621140300

Adjusting treatment strategy based on results of a PET* scan performed after two cycles of escalated BEACOPP** potentially reduces exposure to toxicity and has comparable outcomes to a standard treatment regimen in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the final analysis of the phase III AHL 2011 LYSA*** trial presented at EHA 2018.

Eltrombopag proven effective in chronic, persistent immune thrombocytopaenia

Stephen Padilla, 20180621120000

Treatment with oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist eltrombopag leads to similar platelet counts in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopaenia (cITP) and persistent (per)ITP, according to the results of phase III (EXTEND) and IV studies presented at the 23rd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2018) held in Stockholm, Sweden.

ALCYONE: Daratumumab combo prolongs survival in multiple myeloma

Jairia Dela Cruz, 20180621100000

A treatment regimen combining daratumumab plus bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone markedly extends progression-free survival in patients with multiple myeloma, inducing deep responses and demonstrating acceptable tolerability regardless of baseline renal function, according to the results of the phase III ALCYONE study.