Preface – ASH 2023 © private – Moritz Fürstenau, MD, German CLL Study Group, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Dear Colleagues, The 65th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) took place as a hybrid event that hosted participants both online and on-site in San Diego, California, USA.

Mantle cell lymphoma: emerging treatment regimens and new standards SYMPATICO: venetoclax plus ibrutinib Based on promising results of early-phase studies, the multinational, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III SYMPATICO trial is evaluating the concurrent administration of the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib and the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax in the setting of relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) [1, 2].

Waldenström macroglobulinemia: optimizing outcomes in the first and later lines Effects of transition from ibrutinib to zanubrutinib The randomized phase III ASPEN study compared the next-generation BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib with ibrutinib in patients with symptomatic, MYD88-mutated Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), demonstrating a trend towards better response quality and decreased toxicity in the zanubrutinib arm [1].

Improving responses in multiple myeloma PERSEUS: D-VRd vs. VRd An established treatment approach for transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) is induction treatment with bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), VRd consolidation, and lenalidomide maintenance.

Follicular lymphoma: BTK inhibition and bispecific antibodies Acalabrutinib in addition to lenalidomide/rituximab With respect to the treatment of newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma (FL), there is room for improvement as many patients relapse after first-line chemoimmunotherapy. The frontline use of lenalidomide and rituximab (R2) has proven highly active in patients with FL [1, 2].

Updated findings in CLL with a focus on BTK- and Bcl-2–targeted therapies Treatment-naïve disease Ibrutinib/venetoclax vs. FCR in FLAIR Personalization of treatment duration of ibrutinib plus venetoclax using measurable residual disease (MRD) was explored in fit patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in the multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III FLAIR trial.

Exploring chemotherapy-free approaches in the treatment of DLBCL Smart Stop: quadruplet therapy For decades, the CHOP regimen has been the first-line standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Significant improvement was achieved through the addition of rituximab (R-CHOP).

Innovative agents in marginal zone lymphoma and other B-cell malignancies Relapsed/refractory MZL: sonrotoclax Relapses are common in patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), and sequential therapy is often necessary.

Preface – ASH 2022 © Lebens.Med Zentrum Bad Erlach - Stefan Vogt, MD, Lebens.Med Zentrum Bad Erlach, Department of Oncological Rehabilitation, Austria Dear Colleagues, The 64th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) took place as a hybrid event that hosted participants both online and on-site in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Among the multitude of updates and new insights presented from December 10th to 13th, 2022, attendees had access to thousands of scientific abstract

Potential strategies to overcome relapsed and refractory Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia Although covalent BTK inhibitors are increasingly important in the management of patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), progression and intolerance frequently necessitate treatment discontinuation. In the relapsed/refractory setting, the therapeutic options following chemoimmunotherapy and covalent BTK inhibitor therapy are limited, with no accepted standard of care [1, 2]. Non-covalent BTK

Active monotherapies and combinations in mantle cell lymphoma First-line triple combination: ALR The initial treatment of patients with mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) is continuously evolving due to the introduction of new targeted agents. Ruan et al. conducted a single-arm phase II study based on the hypothesis that the addition of the next-generation BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib to lenalidomide plus rituximab (ALR) would synergize activity and accelerate minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative

Further steps to improve efficacy and safety in acute myeloid leukemia Long-term follow-up of VIALE-A Venetoclax 400 mg QD in combination with azacitidine 75 mg/m2 on days 1–7 has been approved for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy based on the phase III VIALE-A trial that met its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) at the time of the interim analysis conducted in March 2020 [1]. The study included

New approaches in relapsed and refractory DLBCL Polatuzumab vedotin plus R-ICE Approximately one third of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) develop relapsed or refractory disease, which remains a major cause of mortality [1]. In patients relapsing more than 1 year after first-line treatment, the standard of care is salvage treatment followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), although responses to platinum-based salvage therapy are generally suboptimal. The CD7

Follicular lymphoma: bispecific and PI3Kδ-targeted approaches Advanced-stage follicular lymphoma (FL) remains incurable, with most patients eventually experiencing disease progression despite therapeutic advances. Relapsed or refractory FL is challenging to treat, particularly in high-risk patients who are refractory to prior treatments and have progressed within 24 months. The combination of rituximab and lenalidomide (R2) is commonly used in this setting, although complete response (CR) rat

Clinical findings with sundry targets in various B-cell malignancies AUGMENT: 5-year results Recurrent follicular lymphoma (FL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) are treated similarly, mostly with single-agent rituximab. In patients with relapsed/refractory FL, the combination of lenalidomide with rituximab (R2) has previously demonstrated promising efficacy [1]. The multicenter, double-blind, randomized, phase III AUGMENT study was initiated to compare time-limited treatment for approximatel

Final analysis of the MAGNOLIA trial: zanubrutinib in marginal zone lymphoma The global, open-label, single-arm, phase II MAGNOLIA trial was designed to assess the next-generation BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) who had previously received ≥ 1 CD20-directed regimen. After a median follow-up of 15.7 months, the overall response rate (ORR) according to independent review was 68.2 %, with complete remissions resulting in 25.8 % [1]. M