Adding blinatumomab to chemotherapy reduces recurrence risk in standard-risk paediatric B-ALL

Abstract

Despite considerable progress, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) remains a major cause of cancer-related death in children. Now, data from the phase III AALL1731 trial demonstrate that adding the CD19 × CD3 bispecific T cell engager blinatumomab to chemotherapy significantly improves the outcomes of patients with standard-risk B-ALL with an average or high risk of disease relapse.

In this trial, 1,440 children (1–10 years of age) with standard-risk B-ALL with an average (n = 835) or high (n = 605) risk of relapse, based on cytogenetic features and minimal residual disease (MRD) status on completion of induction therapy, were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive two cycles of post-induction (for average-risk patients) or post-consolidation (for high-risk patients) chemotherapy with versus without blinatumomab. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the primary endpoint.