Leukemia Resources

Coming Soon: Roundtable Reviews Costs, Value of Oral BTK Inhibitors in CLL/SLL

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the U.S. population, accounting for more than one-third of leukemia cases among U.S. adults. The clinical course of this non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtype varies patient by patient, with some having a highly aggressive disease course and others having indolent disease that progresses slowly over several years and does not require immediate treatment.

The standard first-line treatment of CLL/SLL typically consists of chemoimmunotherapy, but the introduction of targeted therapies, such as the first-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib and the second-generation BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib, have reshaped the treatment paradigm for CLL/SLL, leading to improved patient outcomes and acceptable toxicity. Recent research has also shown that first-line treatment with ibrutinib leads to longer time to next treatment, compared with first-line chemoimmunotherapy or later administration of ibrutinib. 

As the population grows and the number of people living with CLL/SLL in the U.S. increases, the economic burden and health care resource use associated with CLL therapy will continue to evolve. In this roundtable discussion, experts will discuss the state of CLL/SLL treatment in the United States, the role of BTK inhibitors and targeted therapies, and the financial implications of CLL treatment decisions.