Key clinical point: Acalabrutinib and zanubrutinib showed similar efficacy and safety profiles in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) after matching observed patient variables that are prognostic or predictive at baseline.
Major finding: Acalabrutinib and zanubrutinib treatments resulted in comparable investigator-assessed progression-free survival outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio 0.90; 95% CI 0.60-1.36) and comparable risks for grade ≥3 adverse events (adjusted odds ratio 0.66; 95% CI 0.41-1.05).
Study details: This unanchored indirect comparison study included patients with relapsed or refractory CLL and matched the individual patient-level data of those who received acalabrutinib in the ASCEND trial (n = 149) with the aggregate data of those who received zanubrutinib in the ALPINE trial (n = 327).
Disclosures: This study was funded by AstraZeneca, USA. Some authors declared serving as consultants, advisors, or speakers for or receiving research funding or consulting fees from various sources, including AstraZeneca. Six authors declared being employees of AstraZeneca, USA, or holding stocks in AstraZeneca.
Source: Kittai AS, Skarbnick A, et al. A matching-adjusted indirect comparison of acalabrutinib versus zanubrutinib in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Hematol. 2023 (Oct 9). doi: 10.1002/ajh.27110