Advances in drug-based therapies in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and future prospects

Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has experienced a revolution over the past few decades with a marked expansion in therapeutic options and improvement in outcomes. This success can be attributed to an improved understanding of the molecular and genetic underpinnings of disease pathogenesis and the emergence of a variety of effective, well-tolerated, targeted therapies. The field is now continuing to evolve with an improved understanding of prognostic and predictive biomarkers of response, exploration of novel combination strategies with the goal of inducing deeper and more durable remissions, and the development of next-generation and immune-based agents. Here, we review the recent advances in CLL therapy as well as the novel therapeutic innovations that are likely to contribute to the rapidly evolving treatment paradigms in this disease.