On January 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has approved bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), zanubrutinib (Brukinsa, BeiGene), for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/ small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). 

BTK is a protein critical for the growth and survival of B-cells. BTK inhibitors can kill malignant B-cells but leave healthy T-cells largely unaffected, which distinguishes it from several other treatment methods.

“The approval of zanubritinib is an important advancement for patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL),” said Meghan Gutierrez, Chief Executive Officer at the Lymphoma Research Foundation. “Each lymphoma patient’s experience is unique, and today’s approval offers patients with CLL/SLL a new treatment option and new opportunity for hope.”

For more information on the FDA approval of zanubrutinib (Brukinsa, BeiGene), visit the FDA’s website.  To learn more about treatment options for CLL/SLL, visit the CLL/SLL learning center.