Long-term efficacy and safety of first-line ibrutinib treatment for patients with CLL/SLL: 5 years of follow-up from the phase 3 RESONATE-2 study

RESONATE-2 is a phase 3 study of first-line ibrutinib versus chlorambucil in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Patients aged ≥65 years ( n = 269) were randomized 1:1 to once-daily ibrutinib 420 mg continuously or chlorambucil 0.5–0.8 mg/kg for ≤12 cycles. With a median (range) follow-up of 60 months (0.1–66), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefits for ibrutinib versus chlorambucil were sustained (PFS estimates at 5 years: 70% vs 12%; HR [95% CI]: 0.146 [0.098–0.218]; OS estimates at 5 years: 83% vs 68%; HR [95% CI]: 0.450 [0.266–0.761]). Ibrutinib benefit was also consistent in patients with high prognostic risk ( TP53 mutation, 11q deletion, and/or unmutated IGHV ) (PFS: HR [95% CI]: 0.083 [0.047–0.145]; OS: HR [95% CI]: 0.366 [0.181–0.736]). Investigator-assessed overall response rate was 92% with ibrutinib (complete response, 30%; 11% at primary analysis). Common grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) included neutropenia (13%), pneumonia (12%), hypertension (8%), anemia (7%), and hyponatremia (6%); occurrence of most events as well as discontinuations due to AEs decreased over time. Fifty-eight percent of patients continue to receive ibrutinib. Single-agent ibrutinib demonstrated sustained PFS and OS benefit versus chlorambucil and increased depth of response over time.