Zanubrutinib, obinutuzumab, and venetoclax with minimal residual disease-driven discontinuation in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma: A multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial Journal Article


Authors: Soumerai, J. D.; Mato, A. R.; Dogan, A.; Seshan, V. E.; Joffe, E.; Flaherty, K.; Carter, J.; Hochberg, E.; Barnes, J. A.; Hamilton, A. M.; Abramson, J. S.; Batlevi, C. L.; Matasar, M. J.; Noy, A.; Owens, C. N.; Palomba, M. L.; Kumar, A.; Takvorian, T.; Ni, A.; Choma, M.; Friedman, C.; Chadha, P.; Simkins, E.; Ruiters, J.; Sechio, S.; Portman, D.; Ramos, L.; Nolet, N.; Mahajan, N.; Martignetti, R.; Mi, J.; Scorsune, K.; Lynch, J.; McGree, B.; Hughes, S.; Grieve, C.; Roeker, L. E.; Thompson, M.; Johnson, P. C.; Roshal, M.; Huang, J.; Biondo, J.; Wu, Q.; Jacob, A.; Abdel-Wahab, O.; Zelenetz, A. D.
Article Title: Zanubrutinib, obinutuzumab, and venetoclax with minimal residual disease-driven discontinuation in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma: A multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial
Abstract: Background: We hypothesised that combining zanubrutinib with obinutuzumab and venetoclax (BOVen) as an initial therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma would lead to high rates of undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD), and we explored MRD as a biomarker for directing treatment duration. Methods: This multicenter, investigator-initiated, single-arm, phase 2 trial took place at two two academic medical centres in the USA. Patients were eligible for the primary cohort if they had treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma, required therapy, and were at least 18 years of age with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status up to 2. BOVen was administered in 28 day cycles (oral zanubrutinib at 160 mg twice per day starting in cycle 1 on day 1; intravenous obinutuzumab at 1000 mg on day 1 [split over day 1 with 100 mg and day 2 with 900 mg for an absolute lymphocyte count >25 000 cells per μL or lymph nodes >5 cm in diameter], day 8, and day 15 of cycle 1, and day 1 of cycles 2–8; and oral venetoclax ramp up to 400 mg per day starting in cycle 3 on day 1) and discontinued after 8–24 cycles when prespecified undetectable MRD criteria were met in the peripheral blood and bone marrow. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients that reached undetectable MRD in both the peripheral blood and bone marrow (flow cytometry cutoff less than one chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cell per 10 000 leukocytes [<10−4]) assessed per protocol. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03824483). The primary cohort is closed to recruitment, and recruitment continues in the TP53-mutated mantle cell lymphoma cohort. Findings: Between March 14, 2019, and Oct 10, 2019, 47 patients were screened for eligibility, and 39 patients were enrolled and treated. Median age was 62 years (IQR 52–70) with 30 (77%) of 39 male participants and nine (23%) of 39 female participants. 28 (72%) of 39 patients had unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region and five (13%) of 39 had 17p deletion or TP53 mutation. After a median follow-up of 25·8 months (IQR 24·0–27·3), 33 (89%) of 37 patients (95% CI 75–97) had undetectable MRD in both blood and bone marrow, meeting the prespecified undetectable MRD criteria to stop therapy after a median of ten cycles (IQR 8–12), which includes two cycles of zanubrutinib and obinutuzumab before starting venetoclax. After median surveillance after treatment of 15·8 months (IQR 13·0–18·6), 31 (94%) of 33 patients had undetectable MRD. The most common adverse events were thrombocytopenia (23 [59%] of 39), fatigue (21 [54%]), neutropenia (20 [51%]), and bruising (20 [51%]), and the most common adverse event at grade 3 or worse was neutropenia (seven [18%]) in the intention-to-treat population. One death occurred in a patient with intracranial haemorrhage on day 1 of cycle 1 after initiating intravenous heparin for pulmonary emboli. Interpretation: BOVen was well tolerated and met its primary endpoint, with 33 (89%) of 37 previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma reaching undetectable MRD in both peripheral blood and bone marrow despite a median treatment duration of only 10 months, owing to our undetectable MRD-driven treatment discontinuation design. These data support further evaluation of the BOVen regimen in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma with treatment duration guided by early MRD response kinetics. Funding: Beigene, Genentech (Roche), Grais-Cutler Fund, Lymphoma Research Fund, Lymphoma Research Foundation, American Cancer Society, Farmer Family Foundation, and the National Instititutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Journal Title: The Lancet Haematology
Volume: 8
Issue: 12
ISSN: 2352-3026
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 2021-12-01
Start Page: e879
End Page: e890
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3026(21)00307-0
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 34826411
PMCID: PMC9326222
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 1 December 2021 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Venkatraman Ennapadam Seshan
    382 Seshan
  2. Ariela Noy
    351 Noy
  3. Maria Lia Palomba
    415 Palomba
  4. Andrew D Zelenetz
    767 Zelenetz
  5. Matthew J Matasar
    289 Matasar
  6. Anita Kumar
    180 Kumar
  7. Sharon J Hughes
    3 Hughes
  8. Connie Wing-Ching Lee Batlevi
    176 Batlevi
  9. Ahmet Dogan
    455 Dogan
  10. Colette Ngozi Owens
    66 Owens
  11. Mikhail Roshal
    230 Roshal
  12. Claire Frances Friedman
    117 Friedman
  13. Ai   Ni
    99 Ni
  14. Erel Joffe
    82 Joffe
  15. Jason Todd Carter
    4 Carter
  16. Anthony R Mato
    235 Mato
  17. Lindsey Elizabeth Roeker
    132 Roeker
  18. Clare Louise elizabeth Grieve
    15 Grieve
  19. Morgan Choma
    4 Choma
  20. Puja Chadha
    3 Chadha
  21. Joanna Mi
    6 Mi