Pirtobrutinib: A novel non-covalent BTK inhibitor for the treatment of adults with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive review of the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy of a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), pirtobrutinib for relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (r/r MCL).

DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted through PubMed MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the FDA website (January 2018-January 2023) using the following key terms: lymphoma, non-covalent, Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), and relapse. Relevant English language monographs, studies, and abstracts conducted in humans were reviewed and considered.

DATA SUMMARY: Pirtobrutinib, a novel non-covalent BTKi, was granted accelerated approval for treatment of r/r MCL on January 27th, 2023, based on an open-label, multi-center phase 1/2 BRUIN trial. In phase l, 61 patients with r/r MCL received seven dose levels of pirtobrutinib (25-300 mg). There was no reported maximum tolerated dose or dose-limiting toxicities during this study period. In phase 2, 56 r/r MCL evaluable efficacy patients received pirtobrutinib 200 mg daily. The overall response rate (ORR) was 52% (95% CI 38-65). Additionally, patients who received a previous covalent BTKi, ORR was 52% (95% CI 38-66). Neutropenia was the most common adverse reaction reported as a grade 3 or higher.

CONCLUSION: Pirtobrutinib has demonstrated safety and efficacy in heavily pre-treated adult patients with r/r MCL. Advantages of this drug include its usage in patients whose malignancy is resistant to current BTKi, tolerability, and response rate. Multiple clinical trials are underway to determine the efficacy of pirtobrutinib in other B-cell malignancies .