Elias Jabbour, MD, on the Phase III PhALLCON Trial in Ph+ ALL

Dr. Jabbour of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses data from the phase III PhALLCON study that he presented at the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology.

The study compared ponatinib versus imatinib in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

It showed that ponatinib was superior to imatinib in combination with reduced-intensity chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL and showed a significantly higher measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative complete response rate at the end of induction.

“For the first time, the primary endpoint was MRD negativity at 12 weeks,” Dr. Jabbour said. “The study’s endpoint was met.”

He also spoke about the event-free survival rates, noting that they were “in favor of ponatinib.”

“Ponatinib is more effective than imatinib therapy …. I hope this new drug will be available to everybody as standard of care,” Dr. Jabbour said.