Johnson & Johnson presents promising data on leukaemia treatment
Ella Day | June 16, 2025 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development | European Hematology Association, Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson, Oncology, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, clinical trial
Janssen-Cilag, a Johnson & Johnson company, has announced results from a matching-adjusted indirect comparison presented at this year’s European Hematology Association Congress in Milan, Italy. It suggested that fixed-duration ibrutinib plus venetoclax (I+V) is more effective than acalabrutinib plus venetoclax (A+V) in previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a slow-growing blood cancer of the white blood cells.
The analysis, which matched patient-level data from the phase 3 GLOW and phase 2 CAPTIVATE studies against aggregate data from the AMPLIFY trial, showed I+V significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and increased the likelihood of achieving undetectable minimal residual disease three months after treatment. Patients on I+V were 47% less likely to experience disease progression or death compared to those on A+V.
“The data suggest that ibrutinib plus venetoclax may offer meaningful clinical advantages, including more time in remission and longer PFS,” said Talha Munir, consultant in clinical haematology at St James’ Hospital Leeds, UK.
Additional long-term data from CAPTIVATE further demonstrated durable benefit. After a median follow-up of 5.5 years, PFS and overall survival rates reached 66% and 97%, respectively. Moreover, no new safety concerns emerged.
“The final analysis of CAPTIVATE highlights how ibrutinib continues to raise the bar in the treatment of CLL,” commented Ester in’t Groen, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, therapeutic area head haematology at Johnson & Johnson.
With more than 325,000 patients treated globally and approved in more than 100 countries, ibrutinib is developing as a popular therapy in CLL care.
Ella Day
16/6/25
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