Description:

In the last 5 years, a wealth of new therapies have been developed and FDA-approved for patients with B-cell lymphomas. These therapies include the oral agents targeting the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, specifically idelalisib and ibrutinib, and antibodies targeting the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway. This session will review existing pre-clinical and clinical data with these agents in the treatment of patients with relapsed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and efforts to move these highly effective therapies into combination regimens and into the front-line setting. The session will provide insight on how best to incorporate these new agents into the treatment paradigms and transplant approaches traditionally utilized for the care of patients with lymphoma.

Dr. Philippe Armand will discuss the mechanism of action and clinical efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors, specifically through PD-1 blockade, for the treatment of patients with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The clinical efficacy and potential toxicities of these agents in patients with relapsed B-cell lymphomas will be reviewed.

Dr. Patrick Stiff will discuss the role for autologous transplantation in the treatment of patients with relapsed indolent and aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas in the current era of targeted therapy. Specific emphasis will be placed on when to consider transplantation for these patients, particularly if less toxic, oral therapies is available and effective for these patients at relapse. In addition, strategies incorporating novel targeted therapies into the transplant regimen will also be discussed.

Dr. Kristie Blum will review the existing clinical data and postulated mechanisms of resistance with the B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors, idelalisib and ibrutinib, in the treatment of patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Early clinical studies with next generation B-cell receptor inhibitors and efforts to combine these agents with rituximab, immunologic, and cytotoxic chemotherapy will be presented.