VJHemOnc Podcast

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been the standard of care patients with multiple myeloma for the past three decades; however, high-risk patients still have poor outcomes. Many bispecific antibody therapies are currently under investigation for the treatment of myeloma, such as blinatumomab, teclistamab, talquetamab and cevostamab, and the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, idecabtagene vicleucel, became the first CAR-T therapy to receive FDA approval for the treatment of multiple myeloma in March 2021. With CAR-T and bispecific antibodies demonstrating deep and sustained remissions, the role of ASCT in the future treatment of myeloma has become a subject of debate.

In this podcast, Hermann Einsele, MD, FRCP, of the University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, and Parameswaran Hari, MD, MRCP, MS, of the Froedtert Hospital Cancer Center, Milwaukee, WI, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of CAR-T and bispecific antibodies as a replacement for ASCT in multiple myeloma.

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Antibody therapies are rapidly transforming the treatment landscape of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Since the development of rituximab as an anti-CD20 antibody, there has been an intense research interest in antibody-based therapeutic approaches. The use of antibody-drug conjugates, monoclonal antibodies, and bispecific antibodies are increasingly being investigated in clinical trials for the treatment of NHL, particularly in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and in the relapsed/refractory setting, offering alternative strategies for disease management.

In this podcast, Gilles Salles, MD, PhD, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York, NY, Martin Hutchings, MD, PhD, of the Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, Moshe Yair Levy, MD, of the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, Paolo Caimi, MD, of the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, and Nilanjan Ghosh MD, PhD, of the Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC, discuss the latest clinical updates on the use of antibody therapies for the treatment of NHL, as presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress 2021 and the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML), 2021.

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A significant number of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are unable to withstand intensive chemotherapy regimens due to older age and the presence of comorbidities, creating an unmet medical need. Recent advances in the understanding of the genomics underlying AML have led to the development of therapies targeting FLT3, IDH1/2 and BCL-2. Between 2017 and 2018 the US FDA approved a total of eight drugs for AML, including glasdegib, venetoclax, ivosidenib, midostaurin and gemtuzumab ozogamicin. Many trials are now reporting longer follow-up data on these drugs as well as on novel combinations and approaches.

In this podcast, Andrew Brunner, MD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, Mark Levis, MD, PhD, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, Stéphane de Botton, MD, PhD, of the Gustave Roussy Institute, Paris, France, and Andrius Zucenka, MD, of the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania, share updates on novel therapies for the treatment of AML, as presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2021 congress.

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Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are becoming an increasingly prominent class of drug in the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), in particular for the management of myelofibrosis symptoms. With the FDA approval of ruxolitinib in 2011, followed by the approval of fedratinib in 2019, JAK inhibitors are already established in the myelofibrosis treatment landscape; however, studies investigating novel JAK inhibitors could potentially lead to further approvals. Both pacritinib and momelotinib have demonstrated promising results in the PERSIST-2 trial and the SIMPLIFY-1 and SIMPLIFY-2 trials, and continue to be explored in the ongoing MOMENTUM and PACIFICA trials respectively.

In this podcast, Ruben Mesa, MD, of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, Aaron Gerds, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, and Abdulraheem Yacoub, MD, MBBS, of The University of Kansas, Westwood, KS, discuss the latest updates on JAK inhibitors for MPNs, as presented at the Texas MPN Workshop: Second Annual Meeting and Workshop 2021.

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Great progress has been made in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), primarily owing to the development of targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The use of targeted therapies has significantly improved survival outcomes for patients with ALL and has become a mainstay of frontline treatment. Since the FDA approval of blinatumomab, inotuzumab ozogamicin, and tisagenlecleucel, clinical trials have been increasingly investigating combination regimens with these targeted agents with the goal of optimizing their use and reducing the need for cytotoxic therapies.

In today’s podcast, Bijal Shah, MD, of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, Daniel W. Lee, MD, of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Nicholas Short, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Robin Foà, MD, of the Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, talk on the latest clinical updates on the use of targeted therapies for the treatment of ALL, as presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress 2021.

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