Tag: Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell’s Dr. John Leonard Named Chair of NCI’s Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Lymphoma Committee

Weill Cornell’s Dr. John Leonard has been named chair of the Lymphoma Committee for the prestigious Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

John Leonard, MD
John Leonard, MD

Dr. Leonard is the Associate Dean for Clinical Research at Weill Cornell Medical College, the director of the Joint Clinical Trials Office at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, and the clinical director of the Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program. An internationally-recognized hematology and oncology expert specializing in the treatment of lymphoma, Dr. Leonard has been a pioneer in the development of novel lymphoma therapeutics. .

In his role as chair of the NCI-sponsored Lymphoma Committee, Dr. Leonard will help guide the national agenda for lymphoma research by developing, supporting and shepherding Phase II and Phase III clinical trials funded by NCI at medical centers around the United States. Dr. Leonard will direct a team of lymphoma clinical and laboratory researchers from academic and community medical centers across the country to create and implement new standards of treatment as well as foster the development of novel therapeutics.

“I am honored and deeply humbled to be chosen to lead this vital national effort to improve cancer care for patients in the United States,” said Dr. Leonard. “This appointment, I believe, is a true reflection of the programs and major accomplishments we’ve made here at Weill Cornell in advancing lymphoma research and clinical care. We are recognized as a leading center internationally in contributing new approaches to lymphoma management, and I am excited to continue collaborating with colleagues both here and across the country to move the field forward and improve the effectiveness of therapies that are available for patients.”

New Clinical Trial: Ibrutinib in Refractory Follicular Lymphoma

The Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program has recently opened a clinical trial evaluating ibrutinib in men and women with refractory follicular lymphoma. The study sponsor is Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and the principal investigator at Weill Cornell is Dr. Peter Martin. For more information about the study, please call Amelyn Rodriguez, RN at (212) 746-1362 or e-mail Amelyn at amr2017@med.cornell.edu.

Key Eligibility
  • Age 18 and older
  • Refractory follicular lymphoma
  • Previously treated with at least 2 prior lines of therapy
  • Did not respond to last prior therapy
  • Detailed eligibility reviewed when you contact the study team
Study Details

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the response to treatment with the experimental drug ibrutinib, also called PCI-32765. Ibrutinib is an oral drug that inhibits the enzyme Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK), decreasing the ability of lymphoma cells to grow and survive.

Treatment Plan

All study participants will receive ibrutinib; there is no placebo. Participants will take 4 capsules by mouth once every day. Participants will continue taking ibrutinib as long as they are responding to treatment and not experiencing unacceptable side effects.

Click here to view all current lymphoma trials at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Ibrutinib Granted Third Breakthrough Status for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL)

On April 8, the FDA granted a third Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the investigational agent ibrutinib. Previously, receiving breakthrough status for the treatment of patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia and mantle cell lymphoma, the drug has now achieved breakthrough status as a monotherapy for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in patients with deletion of the short arm of chromosome 17 (deletion 17p). This is an especially important development as CLL and SLL affected carriers of the deletion of chromosome 17 mutation are prone to poor prognoses, often due to their poor responses to chemoimmunotherapy.

Ibrutinib, an oral drug designed to specifically target an enzyme called Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), has demonstrated promising activity in multiple phase 1 and 2 clinical trials performed at Weill Cornell Medical College and around the world. As one of the leading institutions in the study of ibrutinib since its first testing 3 years ago, Weill Cornell is uniquely positioned in its experience with ibrutinib.

Currently, there are ongoing ibrutinib clinical trials at the Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program open to patients with CLL and SLL. Additional clinical trials for Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia and mantle cell lymphoma with ibrutinib are ongoing.

Please stay updated with our clinical trials listing for forthcoming trials involving ibrutinib and the Cornell Lymphoma Program website for further clinical research updates.