Background: Covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) have been an important advancement for the treatment of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), but these agents are non-curative, and treatment effectiveness can be limited by intolerance and resistance. Pirtobrutinib, a highly selective, non-covalent (reversible) BTKi, inhibits both wildtype and C481-mutant BTK with equal low nM potency, and has favorable oral pharmacology that enables continuous BTK inhibition throughout the dosing interval regardless of intrinsic rate of BTK turnover. Pirtobrutinib is well tolerated and has demonstrated promising efficacy in patients (pts) with poor-prognosis B-cell malignancies following prior therapy, including prior covalent BTKi (Mato et al. Lancet, 2021). Here, we report the first sizeable cohort of WM pts from the BRUIN study (NCT03740529).

Methods: Pts with previously treated B-cell malignancies, including previously treated WM, were eligible for treatment with pirtobrutinib monotherapy in either the dose escalation or expansion portion of the multicenter phase 1/2 BRUIN study. Key endpoints included investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DoR), per modified IWWM6 criteria (Treon. Blood, 2015), and safety. A major response was defined as a patient achieving a complete response (CR), very good partial response (VGPR), or partial response (PR). The response evaluable cohort consisted of all relapsed/refractory (R/R) WM pts enrolled to either phase 1 or 2 who had undergone their first response assessment or discontinued therapy. The safety cohort consisted of all pts with B-cell malignancies who received at least one dose of pirtobrutinib monotherapy (n=725). A data cut of 31 January 2022 was utilized.

Results: Among the 78 WM pts, the median age was 68 (range, 42-84) years and the median number of prior therapies was 3 (range, 1-11). Overall, 66 (85%) pts had received chemotherapy + anti-CD20 antibody, 61 (78%) pts had received ≥1 prior BTKi (≥2 BTKi in 13/61, 21%), and 50 (64%) pts had received chemotherapy + anti-CD20 antibody + BTKi. Of the 61 pts who received ≥1 prior BTKi, 40 (66%) discontinued prior BTKi therapy due to disease progression. Overall, 91% (71/78) of pts received the recommended phase 2 dose (200 mg once daily) as starting dose. The major response rate for the 72 response-evaluable pts was 68% (95% CI, 56-79), including 17 VGPRs (24%) and 32 PRs (44%). At a median response follow-up time of 7.7 months, the median DoR among the 49 responding pts was not reached (95% CI, 10-NE). The 6-month estimated DoR rate was 86% (95% CI, 69-94). In the subset of 55 response-evaluable pts who had received ≥1 prior BTKi, the major response rate was 64% (95% CI, 50-76), including 13 VGPRs (24%) and 22 PRs (40%). In this BTKi-pretreated subset, the median DoR was also not reached (95% CI, 8-NE) and the 6-month estimated DoR rate was 83% (95% CI, 60-93). In the subset of 60 response-evaluable pts who had received chemotherapy + anti-CD20 antibody, the major response rate was 68% (95% CI, 55-80), including 13 VGPRs (22%) and 28 PRs (47%). In the subset of 44 response-evaluable pts who had received chemotherapy + anti-CD20 antibody + BTKi, the major response rate was 64% (95% CI, 48-78), including 9 VGPRs (21%) and 19 PRs (43%). In the safety cohort of all pirtobrutinib treated pts with B-cell malignancies (n=725), the most frequent TEAEs, regardless of attribution, were fatigue (26%, n=191), diarrhea (22%, n=160), and contusion (19%, n=138). The most frequent Grade ≥3 TEAE was neutropenia (20%, n=143). Low rates of Grade ≥3 TEAEs of hypertension (3%, n=20), hemorrhage (2%, n=16), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (1%, n=7) were observed. Overall, 15 (2%) pts discontinued due to a treatment-related AE.

Conclusions: In this cohort of heavily pretreated R/R WM pts, pirtobrutinib was highly active, regardless of the pattern of prior therapy. The depth of response observed, as demonstrated by the favorable VGPR rate, is noteworthy in the subset of pts with prior covalent BTKi therapy. Pirtobrutinib was well-tolerated with low-rates of discontinuation due to drug-related toxicity.

Palomba:Ceramedix: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy. Patel:Ignyta: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Jacobio: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Klus Pharma: Research Funding; Kymab: Research Funding; Loxo: Research Funding; LSK Biopartners: Research Funding; Lycera: Research Funding; Macrogenics: Research Funding; Hutchison MediPharma: Research Funding; Hengrui Therapeutics: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Mirati Therapeutics: Research Funding; Moderna Therapeutics: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Placon: Research Funding; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Prelude Therapeutics: Research Funding; Ribon Therapeutics: Research Funding; Seven and Eight Biopharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Syndax: Research Funding; Taiho Pharmaceutical: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Research Funding; Tesaro: Research Funding; TopAlliance BioSciences Inc: Research Funding; Vigeo: Research Funding; ORIC: Research Funding; Artios: Research Funding; Treadwell: Research Funding; MabSpace: Research Funding; IgM Biosciences: Research Funding; Puretech: Research Funding; BioTheryX: Research Funding; Black Diamond Therapeutics: Research Funding; NGM Biopharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Nurix: Research Funding; Relay Therapeutics: Research Funding; Samumed: Research Funding; Silicon Therapeutics: Research Funding; TeneoBio: Research Funding; Zymeworks: Research Funding; Olema: Research Funding; Adagene: Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding; Accutar Biotech: Research Funding; Compugen: Research Funding; Immunogen: Research Funding; Blueprint Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria; Bayer: Honoraria; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Honoraria; Exelixis: Speakers Bureau; ION Pharma: Other: Leadership; H3 Biomedicine: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; FORMA Therapeutics: Research Funding; Evelo Therapeutics: Research Funding; EMD Serono: Research Funding; Eli Lilly and Company: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Cyteir Therapeutics: Research Funding; Clovis Oncology: Research Funding; CicloMed: Research Funding; Checkpoint Therapeutics: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Boehringer Ingelheim: Research Funding; BioNTech AG: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Aileron Therapeutics: Research Funding; Agenus: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Pfizer/EMD Serono: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics/Janssen: Consultancy. Eyre:Medscape: Speakers Bureau; PeerView: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Secura Bio: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Loxo Oncology @ Lilly: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Beigene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Jurczak:AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Lilly: Consultancy, Research Funding; Mei Pharma: Research Funding; Beigene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Loxo Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sandoz: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Novo Nordisk: Research Funding. Lewis:Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Speakers fees; travel grant; Roche: Consultancy; Eli Lilly and Company: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy, Other: Travel grant; Beigene: Consultancy. Gastinne:Gilead/Kite, Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings/travel, participation in a data safety monitoring board or advisory board. Ma:BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Loxo: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding. Cohen:Aptitude Health: Consultancy; Kite Pharma/Gilead: Consultancy; HutchMed: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Astrazeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Lilly Oncology/Eli Lilly: Consultancy, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding. Patel:Loxo Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics/Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Nurix: Research Funding; Trillium Therapuetics/Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Sunesis Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Velos Bio: Research Funding; Xencor: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genetech/Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; MEI Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Curis, Inc: Research Funding; Epizyme: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Aptevo Therapeutics: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Caribou Biosciences: Consultancy; Kite pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; CRISPR Therapeutics: Research Funding; Morphosys: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BeiGene: Consultancy. Brown:BeiGene, Gilead, Loxo/Lilly, MEI Pharma, SecuraBio, Sun, TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Abbvie, Acerta/Astra-Zeneca, BeiGene, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Juno/Celgene, Catapult, Eli Lilly, Genentech/Roche, Hutchmed, iOnctura, Janssen, MEI Pharma, Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. Scarfò:BeiGene, Janssen: Other: Travel Grant; AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Beigene: Honoraria; Octopharma: Speakers Bureau. Munir:Janssen, AstraZeneca, Alexion, Sobi, Novartis, Roche, Abbvie, Gilead: Honoraria; Janssen, AstraZeneca, Alexion, Abbvie, Novartis, Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hoffmann:Beigene: Consultancy, Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria. Ujjani:Genentech: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Astara: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Loxo Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Eli Lilly and Company: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy. Fakhri:Astrazeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Adaptive: Research Funding; Angiocrine: Research Funding; BMC: Research Funding; Lox/o Oncology/Eli Lilly and Company: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy; University of California San Francisco: Current Employment; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; TG Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Wang:Oncology Specialty Group: Honoraria; VelosBio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Meeting Minds Experts: Honoraria; Eastern Virginia Medical School: Honoraria; Dava Oncology: Honoraria; Vinverx: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; IDEOlogy Health: Honoraria; LLC TS Oncology: Honoraria; Milken Institute: Consultancy; Merck: Honoraria; Physicians Education Resources (PER): Honoraria; OncLive: Honoraria; Studio ER Congressi: Honoraria; Oncternal: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pepromene Bio: Consultancy; Practice Point Communications (PPC): Honoraria; Moffit Cancer Center: Honoraria; Medscape: Honoraria; Molecular Templates: Research Funding; MJH Life Sciences: Honoraria; Lilly: Consultancy, Research Funding; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Consultancy, Honoraria; Loxo Oncology: Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; InnoCare: Consultancy, Research Funding; Deciphera: Consultancy; BioInvent: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy. Izutsu:Beigene: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Ono Pharmaceutical: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Chugai: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Eli Lilly and Company: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck Sharp & Dohme: Honoraria, Research Funding; Eizai: Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Yakult: Research Funding; Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding; Loxo Oncology: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Symbio: Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria. Nagai:Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Mudi Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Eli Lilly and Company: Honoraria; Eisai: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squib: Honoraria; Ono: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; IQVIA: Research Funding; Labcorp: Research Funding; Parexel: Research Funding; Sumitomo Pharma: Honoraria; Nippon Shinyaku: Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria, Research Funding; lncyte: Research Funding; Daiichi-Sankyo: Research Funding; Solasia: Research Funding. Tam:AstraZeneca: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Beigene: Honoraria, Research Funding; LOXO: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Seymour:Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genor Biopharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Rhodes:Beigene: Consultancy; Verastem: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genmab: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy; Oncternal: Research Funding; Abbive: Consultancy; Velosbios: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; SeaGen: Consultancy; Loxo Oncology: Research Funding; Epizyme: Research Funding. Vose:AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Lilly: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria; Johnson & Johnson: Consultancy; MorphoSys: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. McKinney:Kite/Gilead, Seattle Genetics, Molecular Templates, BTG, Pharmacyclics, Verastem, Genentech, Celgene: Honoraria; Kite/Gilead, ADC therapeutics: Speakers Bureau; UNUM, Molecular Templates, Incyte, Beigene, Denovo Biopharma, Pharmacyclics, Nordic Nanovector, BMS, Genentech, Celgene, Atara, LOXO, Cellactor: Research Funding; Genentech, Epizyme, Pharmacyclics, Celgene: Consultancy. Gerson:Loxo Oncology: Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy. Barve:Tempus Time Program: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Tempus: Consultancy; Texas Oncology: Current Employment. Kuss:AbbVie, Astraeneca, Roche, Janssen, Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie, Janssen: Consultancy; Mundipharma, Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders University: Current Employment. Koh:Sanofi Genzyme: Research Funding. Gao:Eli Lilly and Company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ruppert:Eli Lilly and Company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Walgren:Eli Lilly and Company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Tsai:Loxo Oncology/Eli Lilly and Company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Nair:Loxo Oncology/Eli Lilly and Company: Current Employment. Bao:Loxo Oncology/Eli Lilly and Company: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Mato:Dava: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics, Inc: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics, LLC: Honoraria, Research Funding; Nurix: Research Funding; Johnson & Johnson: Honoraria, Research Funding; LOXO: Honoraria, Research Funding; Octopharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genmab: Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Curio: Honoraria; DTRM Biopharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Medscape: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; BeiGene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; PER: Honoraria; PerView: Honoraria. Cheah:Beigene: Consultancy, Honoraria; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Eli Lilly and Company: Consultancy, Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck Sharp & Dohme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding.

We will be presenting data from the BRUIN trial. Pirtobrutinib is not approved yet.

Author notes

*

Asterisk with author names denotes non-ASH members.

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