- Standard treatment for chronic leukemia is too harsh for many older patients.
- Early clinical trials testing indicates that these patients respond well to the experimental drug ibrutinib.
- This agent merits further testing as a first-line therapy for older chronic-leukemia patients.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The experimental drug ibrutinib (PCI-32765) shows great promise for the treatment of elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to interim findings from a clinical trial.