Acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab improves survival vs chemoimmunotherapy in treatment-naive CLL in the 6-year follow-up of ELEVATE-TN

Jeff P. Sharman*, Miklos Egyed, Wojciech Jurczak, Alan Skarbnik, Krish Patel, Ian W. Flinn, Manali Kamdar, Talha Munir, Renata Walewska, Marie Hughes, Laura Maria Fogliatto, Yair Herishanu, Versha Banerji, George Follows, Patricia Walker, Paolo Ghia, Ann Janssens, John C. Byrd, Emmanuelle Ferrant, Alessandra FerrajoliWilliam G. Wierda, Catherine Wangui Wachira, Batul T. Suterwala, Paulo Miranda, Veerendra Munugalavadla, Chuan Chuan Wun, Jennifer A. Woyach

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Acalabrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We present results from ELEVATE-TN after a median follow-up of 74.5 months. Overall, 535 patients were randomized (acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab, n = 179; acalabrutinib, n = 179; chlorambucil-obinutuzumab, n = 177). Median age was 70 years, 63.0% had unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene (uIGHV), 13.6% had del(17p) and/or mutated TP53, and 17% had complex karyotype (CK; ≥3 chromosomal abnormalities). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached (NR) for acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab and acalabrutinib vs 27.8 months for chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (both P < .0001); estimated 72-month overall PFS rates were 78.0%, 61.5%, and 17.2%, respectively. Acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab resulted in improved PFS vs acalabrutinib monotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; P = .0229). Patients with uIGHV, del(17p) and/or mutated TP53, or CK had significantly improved PFS with acalabrutinib ± obinutuzumab vs chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (P < .0001, P ≤ .0009, and P < .0001 for both acalabrutinib-containing arms, respectively). Median overall survival (OS) was NR for all treatments, with significantly longer OS for acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab than chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (HR, 0.62; P = .0349). Estimated 72-month OS rates were 83.9%, 75.5%, and 74.7% for acalabrutinib-obinutuzumab, acalabrutinib, and chlorambucil-obinutuzumab, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) occurring after >4 years were mostly grade 1 to 2. Rates of AEs, serious AEs, and events of clinical interest were similar between acalabrutinib-containing arms and consistent with the known safety profiles of acalabrutinib and obinutuzumab. Efficacy and safety of acalabrutinib-containing arms were maintained, with longer PFS in both acalabrutinib arms than chlorambucil-obinutuzumab including in patients with high-risk features. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02475681.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBlood
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 2025

Funding

FundersFunder number
AstraZeneca
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer InstituteP30 CA016672

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