Duvelisib/Romidepsin for Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma: Steven M. Horwitz, MD
For patients with relapsed/refractory T-cell lymphoma (TCL), standard therapies provide an overall response rate of only 25% to 35%, and novel therapeutic options are greatly needed. In a study recently presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 63rd Annual Meeting & Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, a team of researchers led by Dr. Steven M. Horwitz, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, investigated the efficacy of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase inhibitor duvelisib for patients with peripheral TCL. The researchers found the combination of duvelisib and romidepsin to be highly active and tolerable, producing adequate responses that allowed frequent bridging to allogeneic stem cell transplant. In this interview, Dr. Horwitz discusses the significance of this study's results for patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral TCL.
Oncology Data Advisor: What are some of the unmet needs in the current treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory peripheral TCL?
Steven M. Horwitz, MD: There's an unmet need in peripheral TCL for both higher responses and complete responses. We think complete response is a particularly important end point because we're learning more and more that allogeneic transplant can be curative for patients with relapsed peripheral TCL.
Oncology Data Advisor: What is the significance of the results of this study investigating duvelisib/romidepsin for patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral TCL?
Dr. Horwitz: What we were looking for in that study was the efficacy of combining two agents in a setting where there was some preclinical evidence of additivity or synergy. We also looked at the response rate. What we saw was a high overall response rate, particularly high in those with angioimmunoblastic TCL, where it was almost 70%. We saw high complete response rates as well, with almost 30% of patients being able to bridge to transplant.
Looking at that combination of two agents in which there's already respective single-agent activity, the two agents combined safely, and we were able to have important clinical outcomes for some patients. If anything, the safety of the two agents together was a little better than the single-agent safety, and we showed some of that data. For those reasons, we think duvelisib/romidepsin is an effective combination in relapsed/refractory peripheral TCL.
To hear more expert perspectives from Dr. Horwitz, complete his free CME/NCPD-approved activity Update on Therapeutic Advances in T-Cell Lymphoma.
About Dr. Horwitz
Steven Horwitz, MD, is a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He specializes in the treatment of patients with lymphoma, with particular expertise in TCL. Dr. Horwitz's research is centered on the development of novel therapies for patients with these diseases, and he has served as an investigator for numerous clinical trials. He serves on the Executive Committee of the International T-Cell Registry, on the Board of Directors of the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation, and as Chair of the T-Cell and Cutaneous Lymphoma Guidelines Panel for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Lymphoma Committee.
Transcript edited for clarity. Any views expressed above are the speaker's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Oncology Data Advisor.
