Inotuzumab Ozogamicin in Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Despite initial complete remission rates of up to 90%, long-term, disease-free survival remains poor in patients with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Response to salvage chemotherapy is suboptimal; therefore, novel therapeutic agents are being investigated in order to improve outcomes in these patients. Inotuzumab ozogamicin is a CD22-directed antibody-drug conjugate recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor ALL. Inotuzumab ozogamicin improves response rate, minimal residual disease negativity, and survival compared to standard chemotherapy in this population. In addition, it offers more opportunities to proceed to an allogeneic stem cell transplant in patients who otherwise may not be candidates.