By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Image
    The Geographic Divide: How Federalism Has Formalized Health Disparities
    June 17, 2014
    Henderson Cosmetic Dentist Marielaina Perrone DDS
    Antibiotic Guidelines For Dental Patients
    January 24, 2013
    Practice Pointers in the Wake of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Privacy Settlement
    August 13, 2014
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: With Imbruvica (Ibrutinib) Approval CLL Options Accelerating
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > News > With Imbruvica (Ibrutinib) Approval CLL Options Accelerating
News

With Imbruvica (Ibrutinib) Approval CLL Options Accelerating

Andrew Schorr
Andrew Schorr
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

imbruvica-for-article_493246This week the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as expected, approved ibrutinib, now known as Imbruvica, for CLL patients who have tried at least one prior therapy.

imbruvica-for-article_493246This week the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as expected, approved ibrutinib, now known as Imbruvica, for CLL patients who have tried at least one prior therapy. It gives the hope of being a one-pill-a-day treatment and giving a new lease of life for some of the sickest CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) patients and could, over time, be a good choice for a wider group of patients. My friend, Dr. Brian Koffman, is one such patient who attended, as a family doctor and patient, the 2011 conference of the American Society of Hematology in search of a clinical trial that could benefit him as his health was going downhill fast. Brian connected with Dr. John  Byrd from Ohio State and was able to enroll in Dr. Byrd’s trial of Imbruvica in Columbus, Ohio. Brian is from Southern California and had to commute back and forth many times and live in an apartment near the Ohio State’s James Cancer Center. We have Brian and many other patients to thank for the new drug’s approval and, happily, Brian is now doing much better!  Recently, I interviewed Brian as he continued his mission of helping others by going from medical conference to medical conference in the US and Europe, with his son as videographer, and speaking with CLL experts. In anticipation of new drug approvals, here is the advice Brian gives to patients so they get the best treatment for them.

CLL_EU-2013-006-14_brian-koffman_180x150 As Brian noted, Imbruvica is only one of several new treatments here now or coming fairly soon. A few months ago a new monoclonal antibody was approved in the US, obinutuzumab or Gazyva. Perhaps this year we’ll have another pill, idealisib. And after that a drug with, still, only an acronym and a number, ABT199. And some doctors continue to like another pill, lenalidomide, originally meant for myeloma, . How does it all work together or in sequence? Who should get what and when? What questions should you be asking your doctor and how can you help THEM stay informed? These are good challenges to have because it means there’s lots to talk about. My interviews with CLL expert Dr. Jeff Sharman dealt with these topics. One on what’s coming (with one new drug now here) and the other on what treatments to consider and when .

Obviously, other experts will weigh in and we’ll bring you those perspectives on video. There continues to be debate on whether anyone should still get a chemotherapy agent. We’ll take your questions as we will soon launch a regular “Ask the Expert” video series where you can send us questions to questions@patientpower.info and we’ll do our best to get answers that can benefit you and others.

More Read

health insurance costs 2023
What Factors Impact Health Insurance Costs in 2023?
CMS (Finally) Makes Claim Data Public
Gene Therapy Is Back And Is Working for Some Patients
The Liver Health Formula Review and How It Helps
Wal-Mart Care

2013-0120-02_sharman_180x150As new drugs come out, it is good news for the estimated 114,000 people living with CLL in the US and many more around the world (my UK friends tell me there are about 30,000 there). But sadly, I have known CLL patients who have died before any of these new products were available. And one died in an early trial for one of the promising new drugs. Progress is not a straight line. While it is great news that a new, effective pill is available for CLL, how long does the effect last? Does one develop resistance to it at some point? And another issue, any of these new drugs are, or will be, very expensive. Who will pay? And for how long? What if we need TWO expensive drugs in combination – for life? And, as we have seen in CML leukemia, can there be the hope that some patients could take the pill and have the disease be knocked back so low that our own immune systems can take over and we can stop taking the medicine? I don’t know if this applies in CLL but one wonders. The point is a new drug approval is a first step and it is cause to celebrate, but wisely. Will there be longer term side effects or will this be a triumph of medical science? We’ll cover that story and be on the journey with you together.

What’s also exciting is that CLL progress is but one example. More is happening in myeloma, in lymphomas, in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), lung cancer, and melanoma. I am optimistic and only wish the list of accelerating progress could extend to more cancers. But this latest approval is a great beacon of hope. If you have CLL, talk to your doctor about whether it applies to you now or could in the future. We’ll do our best to help you stay informed.

TAGGED:ibrutinibImbruvica
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025

You Might also Like

Coordinating Care by Reporting What Didn’t Happen

March 2, 2012

Obama Working Behind the Scenes on Latest Pre-ACA Snafu

August 4, 2013

The Bionic Man Makes History in Mind-Controlled Prosthetics

May 27, 2015

US FTC Commissioner Doubts Benefits of ACOs

November 20, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?