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News
A pooled analysis confirms pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca) delivers meaningful responses in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who previously failed covalent BTK inhibitors. The overall response rate hit 72% across pooled studies, and even patients who had failed both a BTK inhibitor and a BCL2 inhibitor saw a 70% response rate. The drug also showed a favorable safety profile, with only a 3% rate of atrial fibrillation.
Pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca), a non-covalent BTK inhibitor, is proving its worth in one of oncology's trickier treatment scenarios: patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who've already been treated with covalent BTK inhibitors. A pooled analysis presented at the 2026 SOHO Annual Meeting combined data from the phase 1/2 BRUIN trial and the randomized phase 3 BRUIN CLL-321 trial, offering a comprehensive look at how the drug performs in heavily pre-treated patients.
The results were consistently encouraging. Across the pooled dataset, pirtobrutinib achieved strong response rates even in patients who had previously received both a covalent BTK inhibitor and a BCL2 inhibitor — a group with very limited options. The safety profile was also reassuring, with a notably low rate of atrial fibrillation compared to older BTK inhibitors.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: For CLL patients who've exhausted standard BTK inhibitor options, treatment choices are slim. These findings position pirtobrutinib as a viable next-line option and lay the groundwork for future studies on optimal treatment sequencing in this challenging population.
