The 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting showcased a shift in hematology, prioritizing precision and quality of life, and signaling a move toward more accessible, “off-the-shelf” cancer care.
Key highlights included the debut of in vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and data supporting a chemotherapy-free frontline regimen for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Find the 5 most-read articles from ASH below, and check out all of our
5. In CLL, Fixed-Duration Venetoclax Combos Are Equal to Continuous Ibrutinib in Head-to-Head Comparison
The phase 3 CLL17 trial provided the first head-to-head evidence that fixed-duration venetoclax combinations are clinically noninferior to continuous ibrutinib for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). After 3 years, progression-free survival rates were nearly identical across all arms, but the venetoclax-based regimens achieved significantly higher complete response rates compared with indefinite monotherapy.
“The aim here is to combine and produce deep remissions and thereby allow patients to get off therapy while still remaining in remission,” said Othman Al-Sawaf, MD, PhD, of University Hospital of Cologne.
These results highlight a major shift toward time-limited treatment, allowing patients to enjoy multiyear “treatment-free intervals” that reduce long-term toxicities, such as cardiac events, while potentially lowering overall health care costs.
4. EPCORE FL-1: Adding Epcoritamab to R2 Delivers “New Benchmark” in Second-Line Follicular Lymphoma
The phase 3 EPCORE FL-1 trial has established a “new benchmark” for treating relapsed follicular lymphoma by adding the bispecific antibody epcoritamab to the standard regimen of rituximab (Rituxan) plus lenalidomide (Revlimid), also known as R2. This chemotherapy-free triplet delivered a 79% progression-free survival advantage over R2 alone, with an overall response rate of 95% and durable outcomes across both high- and low-risk patient subgroups. Designed as a fixed-duration, 12-cycle therapy, the regimen is optimized for outpatient administration, allowing patients to receive highly potent, “off-the-shelf” care in their own communities shortly after their first relapse.
Lorenzo Falchi, MD, a lymphoma specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who presented the results, said the triplet “sets a new benchmark as a standard of care.”
3. 52-Week VERIFY Data Show Rusfertide Brings Sustained Responses in PV
The 52-week VERIFY trial results for rusfertide demonstrate a significant shift in polycythemia vera (PV) management by mimicking the natural hormone hepcidin to regulate red blood cell production. Patients in the study achieved sustained hematocrit control and a dramatic reduction in phlebotomy requirements, with more than 77% of crossover participants successfully avoiding the painful procedure during the assessment window.
Long-term data from the THRIVE extension reinforce these findings, highlighting a 13-fold reduction in phlebotomy rates over 4 years alongside significant improvements in patient-reported fatigue.
“The 32-week VERIFY primary results were already promising, and this deeper understanding of the durability of response with rusfertide is critical to inform clinical decision-making for polycythemia vera,” said Andrew T. Kuykendall, MD, an associate member in the Department of Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center.
2. Azacitidine/Venetoclax Combo Data Challenge Chemo in Fit Patients With AML
The PARADIGM trial presented at the plenary session suggests that the combination of azacitidine and venetoclax could replace intensive chemotherapy as the frontline treatment for fit patients with AML. Patients on the combo compared with patients on the traditional “7+3” chemotherapy regimen achieved significantly higher overall response rates (88% vs 62%) and improved event-free survival.
The combo also enabled a higher percentage of patients to proceed to lifesaving transplants and drastically reduced hospital stays and intensive care unit admissions, offering patients a better quality of life and a much lower risk of early mortality than conventional induction.
1. In Vivo CAR T Takes Center Stage, With Results Shared for 4 MRD-Negative Patients
Researchers debuted transformative phase 1 data on KLN-1010, a pioneering in vivo CAR T-cell therapy that generates cancer-fighting cells directly inside the patient’s body. In the initial study, all 4 patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma achieved minimal residual disease–negative status within just 1 month, with the longest response reaching 4 months. This “off-the-shelf” approach eliminates the need for weeks of external manufacturing and toxic lymphodepleting chemotherapy, offering a significantly improved safety profile and the potential to improve access to one-and-done cancer treatments. However, the results are still early, and only data on 3 of the 4 patients were presented at ASH during the late-breaking session.
“It’s very early. They’re only reporting on 3 patients, so we still have a lot more to learn,” Michael Rosenzweig, MD, MS, chief of the Division of Multiple Myeloma, City of Hope, said in an interview. “But it’s definitely an exciting abstract that’s beginning, at least, to offer proof of principle that it’s possible to do this with some efficacy.”