Findings from landmark RESONATE-2 study confirm sustained survival benefit of IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) for first-line chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treatment with up to 10 years follow-up

June 17, 2024 – Drug Discoveryoncology

RESONATE-2 data presented at the 2024 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress provide longest-term outcomes and safety data ever reported for a monotherapy BTK inhibitor, with a median PFS of 8.9 years

Additional findings from pooled analysis of three phase 3 studies show treatment with ibrutinib has the potential to achieve comparable overall survival to the general European population

14 June 2024 – Beerse, Belgium – (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Janssen-Cilag International NV, a Johnson & Johnson company today announced findings from the final analysis of the phase 3 RESONATE-2 study, demonstrating a significant and sustained progression-free and overall survival benefit in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) receiving IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) monotherapy versus chlorambucil, at up to 10 years of follow-up. The data were featured in a poster presentation at the 2024 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress (Poster #P670), taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 13-16 June 2024.

“When ibrutinib was first introduced more than ten years ago, it changed the course of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) treatment, and today it remains a central part of the standard of care for patients living with B cell malignancies,” said Alessandra Tedeschi MD, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy, clinical study investigator. “The final analysis of the RESONATE-2 study confirms the favourable benefit-risk profile of ibrutinib is sustained over time, with the longest-follow up data of any targeted therapy in CLL, and demonstrates its potential to enable patients diagnosed with CLL today to look forward to the possibility of a normalised life expectancy.”

The phase 3 RESONATE-2 study evaluated 269 previously untreated patients with CLL, aged 65 years or older, without del(17p), who were randomly assigned to receive either ibrutinib single agent or chlorambucil for up to 12 cycles. With up to ten years of follow-up, patients treated with ibrutinib demonstrated a significant and sustained progression-free survival (PFS) benefit versus patients treated with chlorambucil. Median PFS was 8.9 years in the ibrutinib arm versus 1.3 years in the chlorambucil arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.16; 95% CI, 0.11–0.22; p<0.0001). The PFS benefit was significantly longer for patients treated with ibrutinib in all subgroups, including those with high-risk genomic features – TP53 mutation, unmutated IGHV or 11q deletion (HR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.05–0.15; p<0.0001). With up to 10 years of follow-up, the median OS had not been reached with ibrutinib, and at nine years the OS rate was 68% (95% CI, 58.6–75.7).1 At 10 years, 27% of patients in the study remained on ibrutinib, with a median duration of treatment of 6.2 years (range, 0.06–10.2).

Ibrutinib was well tolerated as a long-term treatment and no new safety signals emerged.1 Rates of adverse events (AEs) of interest during years 8–9 and 9–10 were 28% (n=15) and 26% (n=11), respectively for hypertension, and eight% (n=4) and nine% (n=4), respectively for atrial fibrillation.1 During the entire study period, 34 of 136 patients (25%) receiving ibrutinib had AEs of any Grade leading to dose reduction, of which 28 of 34 patients (82%) had all AEs resolved.1 AEs of any Grade led to discontinuation of ibrutinib in 33% of patients (n=44) over the whole study duration, in 13% of patients (n=7) in year 8–9, and in 7% of patients (n=3) in year 9–10.1 No patients discontinued ibrutinib due to progressive disease in years 9–10. Further data pooled from three phase 3 randomised clinical studies on first-line ibrutinib treatment in patients with CLL were featured at EHA (Poster #P664). The pooled analysis included RESONATE-2 (NCT01722487), ECOG1912 (NCT02048813), and iLLUMINATE (NCT02264574), which investigated ibrutinib as a single agent, or in combination with rituximab, or obinutuzumab, respectively. A combined total of 600 patients, aged 31-89, were treated with ibrutinib across the pooled studies. At a median follow up of 49.7 months, OS was comparable between patients treated with ibrutinib and the age-matched general European population (HR, 1.232; 95% CI, 0.878–1.728; p=0.228) using survival probability by age group from the 2019 life tables published by the World Health Organization.Estimated OS was also comparable for the subgroup of patients treated with ibrutinib aged 65 years and older (HR, 1.020; 95% CI, 0.702–1.483; p=0.916). Estimated OS was similar to the age-matched European population when stratified by patients who received either single-agent ibrutinib (HR, 0.931; 95% CI, 0.583–1.489; p=0.766) or the combination of ibrutinib and rituximab or obinutuzumab (HR, 1.182; 95% CI, 0.718–1.943; p=0.511). This data is consistent with a previous analysis of the US population, presented at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

“These findings suggest that treatment with ibrutinib, with or without the addition of a CD20 antibody, offers patients in Europe with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia the potential of a standard life expectancy, comparable to that of their peers,” said Edmond Chan MBChB MD (Res), EMEA therapeutic area lead Haematology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “Our goal has been to change what a blood cancer diagnosis means, and with ibrutinib, we are proud to be at the forefront of leading where medicine is going.”

A poster presentation of real-world evidence (Poster #P1846) provided additional insights on the potential effect of ibrutinib dose reductions on duration of treatment (DOT) and time-to-nexttreatment (TTNT) in patients treated with ibrutinib versus acalabrutinib in the first-line setting.7 Findings suggest that ibrutinib dose-reductions may be an effective strategy to manage tolerability while maintaining clinical efficacy.

Among 286 patients who initiated first-line single-agent ibrutinib at 420 mg/day, 15% (n=44) had a dose reduction; 171 patients initiated first-line single-agent acalabrutinib. Mean time between first-line initiation and index date was 167 days in each cohort. Mean follow-up time postindex was 425 and 221 days for ibrutinib dose-reduction and acalabrutinib cohorts, respectively. Median duration of first-line therapy (including treatment-free interval) was 21.3 and 11.1 months for ibrutinib dose reduction and acalabrutinib cohorts, respectively. A total of 37% (n=16) and 35% (n=60) patients discontinued treatment in the ibrutinib dose reduction and acalabrutinib cohorts, respectively; median DOT was not reached in the ibrutinib dose reduction cohort and was 9.5 months in the acalabrutinib cohort.7 DOT was longer in the ibrutinib dose reduction cohort versus the acalabrutinib cohort (adjusted HR, 0.57, p=0.10).7 A total of 16% (n=7) and 17% (n=29) patients in the ibrutinib dose reduction and acalabrutinib cohorts received the next treatment line during the follow-up period, respectively; median TTNT was not reached in either cohort. TTNT was longer for the ibrutinib dose reduction cohort (adjusted HR, 0.61, p=0.36). This real-world evidence is subject to potential confounding bias usually associated with observational research.

“These latest findings add to the robust data supporting ibrutinib, the most comprehensively studied Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor in the world, and the foundation of care in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia,” said Mark Wildgust PhD, vice president, Global Medical Affairs, Oncology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “As we reflect on a decade since its first approval, ibrutinib stands as a testament to progress that has redefined what it means to live with B-cell malignancies.”

Janssen-Cilag Limited 50-100 Holmers Farm Way High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP12 4EG