Effect of Postreinduction Therapy Consolidation With Blinatumomab vs Chemotherapy on Disease-Free Survival in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With First Relapse of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Brown PA, Ji L, Xu X, Devidas M, Hogan LE, Borowitz MJ, Raetz EA, Zugmaier G, Sharon E, Bernhardt MB, Terezakis SA, Gore L, Whitlock JA, Pulsipher MA, Hunger SP, Loh ML. Effect of Postreinduction Therapy Consolidation With Blinatumomab vs Chemotherapy on Disease-Free Survival in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With First Relapse of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021 Mar 2;325(9):833-842. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.0669. PubMed PMID: 33651090; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7926290.

Standard chemotherapy for first relapse of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in children, adolescents, and young adults is associated with high rates of severe toxicities, subsequent relapse, and death, especially for patients with early relapse (high risk) or late relapse with residual disease after reinduction chemotherapy (intermediate risk). Blinatumomab, a bispecific CD3 to CD19 T cell–engaging antibody construct, is efficacious in relapsed/refractory B-ALL and has a favorable toxicity profile. This trial was a randomized phase 3 clinical trial conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group at 155 hospitals in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with enrollment from December 2014 to September 2019 and follow-up until September 30, 2020. Eligible patients included those aged 1 to 30 years with B-ALL first relapse, excluding those with Down syndrome, Philadelphia chromosome–positive ALL, prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or prior blinatumomab treatment (n = 669).