“Oncohaematology is a truly interesting branch, which has recently given great opportunities for research and development of new molecules. We are committed to this area, where we have already entered with a first drug, with a first indication, and we want to develop a pipeline that allows us to cover the many needs of these patients and to combine these needs with the results of important scientific research”. Thus Paola Morosini, Medical Affairs Head Oncology AstraZeneca, today in Milan on the sidelines of the press conference with which the Anglo-Swedish biopharmaceutical announced the AIFA's green light for the reimbursement of acalabrutinib in tablets for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Reimbursable from 2021 in the capsule formulation, acalabrutinib in tablets has a volume reduced by 50% and is therefore easier to swallow. It can also be given with proton pump inhibitors, which reduce stomach acid, and can be taken with or without food. Management and adherence to therapy thus becomes simpler, to the advantage of treated patients who are usually over 70 years old and more likely to suffer from comorbidities. Equal efficacy and safety of the two formulations have been demonstrated in a clinical study. Thanks to this approval, a greater number of patients will be able to benefit from treatment with acalabrutinib.
