IWWM-12: What are the future perspectives for the treatment of WM?

During the 12th International Workshop on Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (IWWM-12), the Lymphoma Hub was pleased to speak to Christian Buske, Institute of Experimental Cancer Research, Ulm, DE. We asked about their highlights from IWWM-12 and the future perspectives shared at the workshop for the treatment of Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM).

In this interview, Buske discusses their key insights from IWWM-12. The discussion included the advancements in the treatment of WM, with a particular focus on Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. Buske outlines both current and emerging therapies, highlighting developments in continuous and fixed-duration treatments, as well as the potential for new drug classes to reduce drug resistance.

Key points

• BTK inhibitors remain a cornerstone in the treatment of WM.
• Continuous inhibition of BTK using therapies such as zanubrutinib has shown considerable efficacy and disease control.
• New approaches aim to limit treatment duration, using methods including combining BTK inhibitors with other therapies such as venetoclax for a treatment period of up to 2 years.
• Non-covalent BTK inhibitors , such as pirtobrutinib, have also shown promise, particularly in patients who have developed resistance to covalent BTK inhibitors, also benefiting from a low toxicity profile.
• The evolution of BTK inhibitors continues beyond first-generation drugs, with new generations of drugs and therapeutic strategies under investigation.
• A new class of BTK inhibitor, known as BTK degraders, is in early clinical trials, showing efficacy and low toxicity in patients resistant to covalent BTK inhibitors.

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