Ibrutinib and indolent B-cell lymphomas.

[waldenström macroglobulinemia]

Most patients with indolent B-cell lymphomas fail to achieve complete remission with current treatment approaches and invariably relapse . During the past decade , innovative immunochemotherapy strategies have substantially improved disease control rates but not survival , thus providing the rationale for development of novel agents targeting dysregulated pathways that are operable in these hematological malignancies . Ibrutinib , a novel first -in -human Bruton 's tyrosine kinase (BTK ) inhibitor , has progressed into phase III trials after early -phase clinical studies demonstrated effective target inhibition , increased tumor response rates , and significant improvement in survival , particularly in patients with indolent B-cell lymphomas . Recently , the compound was designated a "breakthrough therapy " by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia . This review summarizes recent achievements of ibrutinib , with a focus on its emerging role in the treatment of patients with indolent B-cell lymphoid malignancies .