Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare disease that accounts for 1–2% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The reported age-adjusted incidence rate is 3.4 per million among the male population and 1.7 per million among the female population in the United States, and 7.3 and 4.2 per million, respectively, in the European standard population.[1]
ESMO guidelines recommend IMBRUVICA®-based therapy for patients with symptomatic WM[1]:
Read more about IMBRUVICA®’s key role in the treatment of WM in ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up
IMBRUVICA® indications:
Over 200,000 patients with B-cell malignancies have been treated with IMBRUVICA® worldwide.*[4]
In people with WM, B-cell receptor (BCR) signalling plays a key role in the survival and growth of malignant B cells. For this reason, selective inhibitors of this BCR pathway demonstrate a high level of efficacy in the treatment of WM.[11]
About 93% of people with WM have a somatic mutation in the MYD88 gene.[11] The overexpression of MYD88 stimulates the activation of BTK, involved in the BCR pathway mentioned above, which will ultimately promote the transcription of anti-apoptotic genes, favouring the growth and proliferation of tumour cells.[11]
IMBRUVICA® inhibits BTK and causes its irreversible inactivation by preventing the signalling cascades within cells from being activated, promoting the inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells.[12]
IMBRUVICA® is a BTKi that forms a covalent bond with a cysteine residue (Cys-481) in the BTK active site, leading to sustained inhibition of BTK enzymes.[1]
This content is intended for Healthcare Professionals only. IMBRUVICA® is licensed in the following indications:
Prescribing information may vary depending on approval in each country. Therefore, before prescribing any product, always refer to local materials such as the prescribing information and/or the Summary of Product Characteristics.
BCR=B-cell receptor; BTKi=Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor; CLL= chronic lymphocytic leukaemia; ESMO=European Society for Medical Oncology; MCL=mantle cell lymphoma; WM=Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.
*Includes patients with different types of B-cell malignancies.[3][4]
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