Cure: FDA approves tablet form of blood cancer treatment
UC expert says more patients may potentially benefit from approval
Following positive results of clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a tablet version of a drug called Calquence for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL) and previously treated relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
The drug was previously approved in capsule form, but the tablet form is able to be given to patients who are also taking drugs that reduce gastric acid.
"Patients with blood cancers like chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma are often older and may face multiple medical conditions that may need intervention, including acid reflux or peptic ulcer disease,” John Byrd, MD, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center member, Gordon and Helen Hughes Taylor Endowed Chair and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in UC's College of Medicine and a UC Health physician, told the publication Cure. “This provides another option for some patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma, enabling more patients to potentially benefit from this treatment.”
Read the Cure article.
Featured photo of John Byrd, MD. Photo/University of Cincinnati.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.