Real-world patterns and sequences of targeted therapy use in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma in the United States: a longitudinal study

Leukemia & Lymphoma, 2024

With increasing focus on novel targeted therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), this longitudinal claims-based study evaluated real-world CLL/SLL treatment sequences, particularly sequential targeted therapy. Among patients with first-line (1 L) treatment in 2014-2017 (N = 2,612; median follow-up = 3 years), the most common 1 L treatment was chemoimmunotherapy (CIT; 44.6%), followed by CD20 (25.2%) and Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi; 21.7%). Among those with 1 L in 2018-2021 (N = 4,534; median follow-up = 1 year), these were BTKi (45.5%), CD20 (20.4%), CIT (17.5%), and B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor (8.3%). In 2014-2017, the proportion of patients receiving sequential targeted therapy in the first 2 LOTs was 11.2% (80.2% was BTKi→BTKi); in 2018-2021, this proportion was 34.3% (66.4% was BTKi→BTKi). Over time, there was a substantial increase in targeted therapy use in 1 L and sequential targeted therapy, particularly with BTKi→BTKi. Future studies should assess clinical outcomes to determine optimal sequences for CLL/SLL and reasons for restarting BTKi.

View abstract

Authors

Huntington SF, Cheng WY, Sarpong EM, Leng S, Farooqui MZH, Agu US, Catillon M, Lejeune D, Downes N, Matay L, Duh MS, Nigris ED