In the weeks since the American Society of Hematology (ASH) held its 2022 annual meeting on December 10-13 in New Orleans, the study data disseminated at the event has made its way into the medical community. This has paved the way for Stream to publish reactions from eleven physicians to key ASH presentations on leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Notably, these are practicing physicians who did not participate in any of the ASH studies, so this is a good boots-on-the-ground read of some of the most important blood disorder studies presented during the past year.
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Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Data presented at ASH 2022 on Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ revumenib and Kura Oncology’s ziftomenib left two oncologists with differing opinions about which drug is likely to be preferred for treating patients with NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML.
Primary Ticker: Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SNDX)
Other Companies Mentioned: Kura Oncology Inc. (KURA)
Primary Ticker: SNDX
Other Companies Mentioned: KURA
“I’m not really impressed by ziftomenib. The results are okay… The efficacy is dose-dependent. The other one seems to be better, the SNDX-5613 (revumenib). The response is higher with this compound.”
—Oncologist at Rush University
“[Ziftomenib] may end up being the one that’s used more or picked up because there’s no QT prolongation.”
Meanwhile, a third oncologist was tentatively encouraged by ALX Oncology’s data on evorpacept for AML when used in combination with chemotherapy.
Primary Ticker: ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. (ALXO)
Other Companies Mentioned: AbbVie Inc. (ABBV), Roche Holding Ltd. (RO.CH)
“Overall, [the evarpacept data] is encouraging. It’s encouraging really that the response rates are pretty good and that these patients didn’t really have a lot of problems tolerating this. [But], again, I want to stress this is only a handful of patients.”
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
BeiGene’s ASH presentation on its zanubrutinib treatment for CLL patients vs. AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson’s ibrutinib had not convinced one hematologist oncologist in private practice to change prescribing patterns, although the expert expects to try zanubritinib once it receives FDA approval.
Primary Ticker: BeiGene Ltd. (BGNE)
Other Companies Mentioned: ABBV, AstraZeneca PLC (AZN), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
“I stopped using ibrutinib about a year ago because I went to [AstraZeneca’s] acalabrutinib. I’d really be interested how zanubrutinib compares to acalabrutinib. I think that’s more meaningful to someone who’s actually practicing treating these patients.”
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Follicular Lymphoma
Two oncologists had positive reactions to Regneron’s ASH presentation on odronextamab for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and they were even more optimistic about the drug’s potential in follicular lymphoma.
Primary Ticker: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN)
Other Companies Mentioned: ABBV, Biogen Inc. (BIIB), Genmab A/S (GMAB), Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD), RO.CH
Primary Ticker: REGN
Other Companies Mentioned: RO.CH
“My level of excitement [for odronextamab] is… especially [high] in follicular lymphoma. I really like the high response rate and the high CR (complete response) rate.”
—Hematologist Oncologist at Columbia University, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Hodgkin Lymphoma
One oncologist considered Affimed’s presentation on AFM13 plus NK cells for Hodgkin lymphoma quite promising.
Primary Ticker: Affimed N.V. (AFMD)
Other companies mentioned: Fate Therapeutics Inc. (FATE)
“The data was overwhelmingly encouraging. I think in particular, what I was encouraged about was the side effects profile… There were no infusion-related reactions, which is something that you can often see with antibody therapy, immunotherapy… [It] was pretty amazing that the product was so well tolerated. In addition… it actually looks like it worked quite well.”
—Hematologist Oncologist at Advanced Care Oncology and Hematology Associates
Multiple Myeloma (MM)
Two oncologists were enthusiastic about Johnson & Johnson’s ASH presentation on talquetamab for relapsed/refractory MM.
Primary Ticker: JNJ
Other companies mentioned: Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY), GSK PLC. (GSK), Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (KPTI), Pfizer Inc. (PFE), RO.CH, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (TAK)
Primary Ticker: JNJ
Other companies mentioned: BMY
“The [talquetamab] data shows good tolerability and efficacy and response rate at [the] heavily pre-treated group. That’s all exciting.”
Meanwhile, two other oncologists had differing opinions about results presented by Bristol Myers Squibb and 2Seventy Bio on their ABECMA treatment for MM patients in the post-transplant setting.
Primary Ticker: BMY
Other companies mentioned: 2Seventy Bio Inc. (TSVT), bluebird bio Inc. (BLUE), GILD, JNJ, Legend Biotech Corporation (LEGN), Novartis Inc. (NVS), TAK
Primary Ticker: BMY
Other companies mentioned: TVST
“[My excitement level for the ASH ABECMA presentation is] four [out of 10]. The reason is [lack of data] on long-term survival, responsiveness to the separation between refractory and sensitive disease, the issue of functionality, prevention of pathologic fractures of weight-bearing bone… [and] prevention of infection – the things that we deal with every day in life [with our patients].”
—Oncologist in private practice
“I reviewed the abstracts in our tumor board. [It’s] very interesting data [for] those [MM patients] who have relapsed and those who have inadequate response [to stem-cell transplant.] It looks like a pretty efficacious treatment.”
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Contributors
Sara Mallatt Stahl, Vice President and Healthcare Content Sector Head
Alyees Qureshi, Content Marketing Specialist and Healthcare Lead
Vice President and Sector Head, Healthcare at Stream by AlphaSense
Sara has more than 16 years of experience generating sell-side research content across a variety of industries, including healthcare, which is her focus at Stream by AlphaSense. Sara has a passion for developing content that helps clients pursue their ideas and sparks new ways of thinking.
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