Real-World Persistence and Time to Next Treatment With Ibrutinib in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Including Patients at High Risk for Atrial Fibrillation or Stroke.

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a recognized adverse consequence associated with all Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL); however, real-world time to discontinuation (TTD) and time to next treatment (TTNT) of CLL/SLL patients with a high baseline AF/stroke risk remain unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with CLL/SLL from a nationwide electronic health record-derived database (February 12, 2013-January 31, 2021) initiating first-line (1L) or second or later-line (2L+) treatment with ibrutinib or other regimens on or after February 12, 2014 (index date) were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess TTD and TTNT among all patients, patients with high AF risk (CHARGE-AF risk score ≥10.0%), and patients at high risk of stroke (CHADS-VASc risk score ≥3 [females] or ≥2 [males]).

RESULTS

In 1L/2L+, 2190/1851 patients received ibrutinib and 4388/4135, were treated with other regimens. Median TTD for ibrutinib was similar regardless of AF/stroke-related risk (1L: all patients, 15.7 months; high AF risk, 11.7 months; high stroke risk, 13.7 months; similar results in 2L+). Median TTNT was significantly longer for ibrutinib vs. other regimens (1L: not reached vs. 45.9 months; 2L+: not reached vs. 23.6 months; both P < .05), including among those with high AF/stroke risk. TTNT was similar between all patients and high-risk cohorts in 1L and 2L+ (all P > .05).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights that elevated baseline AF/stroke-related risk does not adversely impact TTD and TTNT outcomes associated with ibrutinib use. Additionally, TTNT was significantly longer for patients treated with ibrutinib vs. other regimens.