FDA approves Venclexta + Grazyva to treat previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Roche announced that the FDA has approved Venclexta (venetoclax) in combination with Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for the treatment of people with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).
The approval is based on the results of the randomised phase III CLL14 study, which evaluated 12-month, fixed-duration treatment with Venclexta plus Gazyva compared to Gazyva plus chlorambucil. Results showed the combination of Venclexta plus Gazyva produced a durable and significant reduction in the risk of disease worsening or death (progression-free survival [PFS], as assessed by Independent Review Committee) by 67% compared to Gazyva plus chlorambucil, a current standard-of-care (HR=0.33; 95% CI 0.22-0.51; p<0.0001). Venclexta plus Gazyva showed deep and clinically meaningful responses characterised by a higher rate of minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity in the bone marrow compared to Gazyva plus chlorambucil (MRD-negativity of 57% vs. 17%) and peripheral blood (MRD-negativity of 76% vs. 35%). MRD-negativity means no cancer can be detected using a specific and highly sensitive test, defined as less than one CLL cell in 10,000 white blood cells.
See our CLL Knowledge Centre for more information.
Learning Zones
The Learning Zones are an educational resource for healthcare professionals that provide medical information on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and burden of disease, as well as diagnostic techniques and treatment regimens.
3 mins