Zanubrutinib Versus Bendamustine and Rituximab in Patients With Treatment-Naïve Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma: Median 5-Year Follow-Up of SEQUOIA

M Mazyar Shadman T Talha Munir (12St. James's University Hospital, Department of Haematology, Leeds, United Kingdom) T Tadeusz Robak (36Department of Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland) J Jennifer R. Brown B Brad S. Kahl (30Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO) P Paolo Ghia (School of Medicine, Università Vita Salute San Raffaele, Milan) K Krzysztof Giannopoulos (14Medical University of Lublin, Department of Experimental Hematooncology, Lublin, Poland) M Martin Simkovic (254th Department of Internal Medicine-Hematology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, University Hospital and Charles University, Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) A Anders Österborg (28Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, United States) L Luca Laurenti (2Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy and Hematology, Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy) P Patricia A. Walker (Peninsula Health and Peninsula Private Hospital, Frankston, Melbourne, VIC, Australia) S Stephen S. Opat (Lymphoma Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia) H Hanna Ciepluch (Department of Hematology, Copernicus Regional Oncology Centre, Gdansk, Poland) R Richard Greil M Merit Hanna (9North Shore Hospital, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand) M Monica Tani (14Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, “Santa Maria delle Croci” Hospital, Ravenna, Italy) M Marek Trneny D Danielle Brander (2Duke University, Div of Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy, Durham, United States) I Ian W. Flinn (6Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN) S Sebastian Grosicki (Department of Cancer Prevention, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland) E Emma Verner (5Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, Australia) A Alessandra Tedeschi (2Niguarda Cancer Center, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy) S Sophie de Guibert (27CHU Rennes, Rennes, France) G Gayane Tumyan (2National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin, Moscow, Russian Federation) K Kamel Laribi (13CH du mans, Le Mans, France) J José A. García-Marco (Unidad de Citogenetica Molecular, Servicio de Hematología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain) J Jian-Yong Li (The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, China) T Tian Tian Y Yu Liu R Roman Korolkiewicz (BeiGene USA, Inc, San Mateo, CA) A Andy Szeto (BeiGene USA, Inc, San Mateo, CA) C Constantine S. Tam (40Department of Haematology, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia) W Wojciech Jurczak

Abstract

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. SEQUOIA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03336333 ) is a phase III, randomized, open-label trial that compared the oral Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanubrutinib to bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in treatment-naïve patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). The initial prespecified analysis (median follow-up, 26.2 months) and subsequent analysis (43.7 months) found superior progression-free survival (PFS; the primary end point) in patients who received zanubrutinib compared with BR. At a median follow-up of 61.2 months, median PFS was not reached in zanubrutinib-treated patients; median PFS was 44.1 months in BR-treated patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; one-sided P = .0001). Prolonged PFS was seen with zanubrutinib versus BR in patients with mutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (IGHV) genes (HR, 0.40; one-sided P = .0003) and unmutated IGHV genes (HR, 0.21 [95% CI, 0.14 to 0.33]; one-sided P < .0001). Median overall survival (OS) was not reached in either treatment arm; estimated 60-month OS rates were 85.8% and 85.0% in zanubrutinib- and BR-treated patients, respectively. No new safety signals were detected. Adverse events were as expected with zanubrutinib; rate of atrial fibrillation was 7.1%. At a median follow-up of 61.2 months, the results supported the initial SEQUOIA findings and suggested that zanubrutinib was a favorable treatment option for untreated patients with CLL/SLL.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 43, Issue 7
Published March 01, 2025
Pages 780-787
ISSN 0732-183X
Publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Journal Info

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

ISSN: 0732-183X Health Sciences

Authors (33)

M

Mazyar Shadman

T

Talha Munir

12St. James's University Hospital, Department of Haematology, Leeds, United Kingdom

T

Tadeusz Robak

36Department of Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland

J

Jennifer R. Brown

B

Brad S. Kahl

30Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

P

Paolo Ghia

School of Medicine, Università Vita Salute San Raffaele, Milan

K

Krzysztof Giannopoulos

14Medical University of Lublin, Department of Experimental Hematooncology, Lublin, Poland

M

Martin Simkovic

254th Department of Internal Medicine-Hematology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, University Hospital and Charles University, Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

A

Anders Österborg

28Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, United States

L

Luca Laurenti

2Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oncological Radiotherapy and Hematology, Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy

P

Patricia A. Walker

Peninsula Health and Peninsula Private Hospital, Frankston, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

S

Stephen S. Opat

Lymphoma Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

H

Hanna Ciepluch

Department of Hematology, Copernicus Regional Oncology Centre, Gdansk, Poland

R

Richard Greil

M

Merit Hanna

9North Shore Hospital, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand

M

Monica Tani

14Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, “Santa Maria delle Croci” Hospital, Ravenna, Italy

M

Marek Trneny

D

Danielle Brander

2Duke University, Div of Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy, Durham, United States

I

Ian W. Flinn

6Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN

S

Sebastian Grosicki

Department of Cancer Prevention, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

E

Emma Verner

5Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, Australia

A

Alessandra Tedeschi

2Niguarda Cancer Center, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy

S

Sophie de Guibert

27CHU Rennes, Rennes, France

G

Gayane Tumyan

2National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin, Moscow, Russian Federation

K

Kamel Laribi

13CH du mans, Le Mans, France

J

José A. García-Marco

Unidad de Citogenetica Molecular, Servicio de Hematología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

J

Jian-Yong Li

The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, China

T

Tian Tian

Y

Yu Liu

R

Roman Korolkiewicz

BeiGene USA, Inc, San Mateo, CA

A

Andy Szeto

BeiGene USA, Inc, San Mateo, CA

C

Constantine S. Tam

40Department of Haematology, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

W

Wojciech Jurczak