Ibrutinib: A narrative drug review

Ibrutinib is an oral, irreversible covalent inhibitor of the Bruton tyrosine kinase, that plays a major role in B-cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, survival, and apoptosis. It has been found to be active against a number of B-cell malignancies. Ibrutinib has shifted the treatment strategy for malignancies away from cytotoxic chemotherapies toward a more targeted approach. It has already been approved for a number of B-cell malignancies such as mantle cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, splenic marginal zone lymphoma, and chronic graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients, and still continues to be evaluated for a number of other B-cell malignancies in various settings. We comprehensively searched the PubMed database to identify and compile the current scenarios in which ibrutinib is indicated for use in oncological practice.