In today’s episode, the discussion features Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, who reviewed the clinical rationale for targeting BCL-2 in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and outlined the phase 3 GLORA-4 trial (NCT06641414) evaluating lisaftoclax (APG-2575) plus azacitidine (Vidaza) in this population. Dr Garcia-Manero is the chair ad interim in the Department of Leukemia in the Division of Cancer Medicine, as well as leader of the MDS/AML Moon Shot Program, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

In the exclusive interview, Dr Garcia-Manero contextualized lisaftoclax as a next-generation BCL-2 inhibitor being advanced as a hypomethylating agent (HMA) partner strategy intended to improve on outcomes historically achieved with azacitidine alone in higher-risk MDS. He emphasized that GLORA-4 is designed as a registrational, randomized trial to rigorously assess whether adding BCL-2 inhibition to standard HMAs can meaningfully deepen responses and translate into clinically relevant benefit. He also characterized the regimen’s tolerability profile in a population that often requires careful supportive care and dose management.

In today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, about the ongoing investigation of CELMoDs for multiple myeloma. Dr Banerjee is an assistant professor in the Clinical Research Division of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, as well as an assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington in Seattle. 

In our exclusive interview, Dr Banerjee discussed the potential of CELMoDs for multiple myeloma management, highlighting their superior efficacy and safety compared with traditional immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) like lenalidomide (Revlimid) and pomalidomide (Pomalyst). He also noted strong preclinical and clinical data with CELMoDs, as well as their favorable safety profiles that include fewer immune and hematopoietic effects. Additionally, he explained that early data suggest that CELMoDs could replace traditional IMiDs, offering better long-term outcomes and fewer adverse effects. 

In today’s episode, the discussion features Lorenzo Falchi, MD, a medical oncologist/hematologist and assistant attending physician in the Lymphoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, who provided clinical and regulatory perspectives on the FDA approval of epcoritamab-bysp (Epkinly) in combination with rituximab (Rituxan) and lenalidomide (Revlimid) for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma after at least 2 prior lines of therapy. The approval was supported by primary results from the randomized phase 3 EPCORE FL-1 trial (NCT05409066).

In this exclusive interview, Dr Falchi discussed why this approval is clinically meaningful—establishing a chemotherapy-free triplet that significantly improves outcomes over the long-standing rituximab/lenalidomide backbone in the second-line setting and beyond—and reviewed practical considerations that inform real-world uptake of the regimen, including outpatient administration feasibility and mitigation of bispecific antibody–associated toxicities, such as cytokine release syndrome. He also placed EPCORE FL-1 in the broader epcoritamab development program, referencing supportive experience with the phase 1/2 EPCORE NHL-2 trial (NCT04663347) and ongoing efforts to move bispecific antibody–based regimens earlier in the treatment paradigm through the phase 3 EPCORE FL-2 trial (NCT06191744).
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