Blinatumomab in the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

05/2017

MUDr. František Folber, Ph.D.

Interní hematologická a onkologická klinika, FN Brno a LF MU, Brno

SUMMARY

Relapsed/refractory adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a serious clinical issue poorly manageable by the standard of care chemotherapy. Too many of these patients do not achieve a remission and survive only several months. Blinatumomab is a new promising immunotherapy drug targeting CD19 antigen present on a vast majority of B lineage adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Clinical trials have proven it to induce a remission more frequently compared to the standard treatment and thus such patients can proceed to an allogeneic transplant and take their chance towards a permanent cure. Adverse events are usually moderate and easily manageable. The major limiting factor for its use in a broader spectrum of patients is a very high market price, making blinatumomab the most expensive cancer drug on the market.

KEY WORDS

adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia, blinatumomab, treatment, clinical trials