Obeng‐Kusi, Mavis

ABSTRACT Introduction Although covalent Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (cBTKis) have transformed treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL), cBTKi‐related cardiotoxicity is a known side effect. This real‐world study evaluated incident cardiovascular adverse events (CVAE), healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs among patients with CLL/SLL receiving cBTKis. Methods Adult patients with CLL/SLL who initiated ibrutinib or acalabrutinib treatment (index date) between 2020 and 2023 were identified using US claims data and followed up to 36 months post‐index. Incident CVAEs (not present pre‐index) were assessed during cBTKi treatment and patients were stratified by CVAE status. HCRU and costs were evaluated per 1000 patient‐months (PPPM). Results Overall, 2069 patients were identified (mean age of 73.7 ± 9.1 years, 40.4% female) with a mean treatment‐specific observation period of 11.4 ± 9.5 months. At least one incident CVAE was observed in 442 (21.4%) patients. The incidence rate was 21.6 PPPM for hypertension, 8.9 PPPM for atrial fibrillation, 8.6 PPPM for ventricular arrhythmias, and 8.3 PPPM for atrial flutter. Patients with incident CVAEs had significantly more total medical service days PPPM (4334 vs. 3138, p < 0.001), primarily driven by increased inpatient (690 vs. 230), outpatient (2798 vs. 2425), other visit (662 vs. 375), and ER days (184 vs. 109) than those without CVAEs. Total healthcare costs (PPPM) were substantially higher for patients with incident CVAEs ($20,250,560 vs. $17,413,460, p < 0.001) mainly due to higher inpatient ($3,417,948 vs. $915,839, p < 0.001), outpatient ($2,415,060 vs. $1,769,628, p < 0.01), and ER costs ($186,820 vs. $87,585, p < 0.001). Conclusions The observed class‐effect of high CVAEs with cBTKis underscores the unmet need for safer, more selective agents for CLL/SLL treatment. The HCRU and economic burden remain high for CLL/SLL, especially among patients experiencing CVAEs during cBTKi treatment. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing clinical management to reduce CVAE risk and downstream impacts on HCRU and costs.

Background: CLL is one of the most common types of leukemia in the United States, with an estimated 20,700 new cases in 2024. Although cBTKis have become the standard of care for CLL/SLL in treatment-naïve and relapsed/refractory patients, cardiovascular (CV) toxicity is a known side effect. Further, clinical outcomes often worsen as patients progress beyond 1st-line therapy (1L), and the frequency of CV adverse events (CVAEs) may increase with age and as patients progress to 2nd-line or later therapies (2L+). This research evaluated the real-world incidence of CVAEs and clinical outcomes in patients who initiated cBTKi between 2020 and 2023. Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with CLL/SLL who initiated cBTKi treatment (index date) between 2020-2023 in the United States were identified using claims data from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database and followed up to 36 months post-index. Cohorts were assessed as those initiating 1L or 2L+, reflecting treatment-naïve and relapsed/refractory patients. Results were presented for patients with an incident CVAE (not present pre-index) and those without. Demographics, incident CVAEs, overall survival (OS) and proportion of patients who discontinued index cBTKi therapy, initiated next treatment or experienced death (NT+D) were assessed. Time to CV event (TTCE) for ibrutinib and acalabrutinib were determined using a Kaplan-Meier (KM) model and Log rank test. Results: Overall, 2,163 eligible patients were identified with a mean ± SD age of 73.8 ± 9.2 years, and 40.6% were female. Of these, 1,958 (90.5%) were included in the 1L cohort and 205 (9.5%) in the 2L+ cohort; 619 (31.6%) and 63 (30.7%) patients had CVAEs, respectively. The mean ± SD [median] observation period was 1.6 ± 0.9 [2.0] years in 1L and 1.5 ± 1.0 [1.0] years in 2L+. The most common cBTKi (in 1L and 2L+) at index were ibrutinib (55.5% and 55.6%), followed by acalabrutinib (40.3% and 38.5%), and zanubrutinib (4.1% and 5.9%). At 12-months post-index, the proportion of 1L patients with and without CVAEs who discontinued treatment was 44.9% and 41.6%, rising to 65.6% and 59.0% by 36-months post-index, respectively. For those in 2L+, 50.8% and 40.8% of those with and without CVAEs discontinued treatment by 12-months; 68.3% and 55.6% discontinued by 36-months. Among those with and without CVAEs, NT+D in 1L patients was 35.9% and 22.5% within 12-months post-index and 56.9% and 32.8% by 36-months. In the 2L+ cohort, 46.0% and 31.7% experienced NT+D by 12-months, rising to 63.5% and 41.5% by 36-months. OS in 1L patients was 84.7% and 93.1% in those with and without CVAEs at 12-months and 69.1% and 88.0% at 36-months. For 2L+ patients, OS was 71.4% and 88.0% at 12-months and decreased to 54.0% and 80.3% at 36-months, among those with and without CVAEs, respectively. The most common incident CVAEs following cBTKi initiation in the 1L and 2L+ cohorts were hypertension (31.2% and 21.7%), heart failure (14.6% and 17.7%), atrial fibrillation (13.9% and 18.4%), atrial flutter (13.3% and 16.9%), and ventricular arrythmias (13.0% and 14.5%). The occurrence of incident CVAEs between 1L patients who received acalabrutinib and ibrutinib was 3.4% and 13.2% for atrial fibrillation, 2.7% and 12.7% for atrial flutter, 9.3% and 31.0% for hypertension, and 6.8% and 11.7% for ventricular arrythmias. For 2L+, the proportion experiencing CVAEs with index acalabrutinib or ibrutinib were 8.6% and 14.8% for atrial fibrillation, 7.6% and 14.8% for atrial flutter, 10.5% and 25.0% for hypertension, and 10.1% and 8.8% for ventricular arrythmias. Among acalabrutinib and ibrutinib patients, KM estimates (medians not reached) in 1L showed that 84% and 72% of patients would not experience a CVAE by 12 months, with 57% and 52% not experiencing a CVAE at 36-months (p&lt;0.001); 2L+ KM estimate rates were 77% and 73% at 12-months and 64% and 60% at 36-months (p=0.28). Mean TTCE for acalabrutinib and ibrutinib in 1L was 2.2 and 1.9 years with 1.6 and 1.2 years in 2L+. Summary/Conclusion: Utilizing real-world evidence from patients with CLL/SLL receiving cBTKIs, this study highlights the CV disease burden among patients who incur new CV events in 1L or later lines of therapy. This research underscores the need for innovative therapies with improved efficacy and CV safety profiles that delay progression to later lines of therapy, as well as careful CV monitoring to allow for early management and improved outcomes.

Background: Although Covalent BTKis have revolutionized treatment of CLL/SLL, cardiotoxicity is a known side effect, which can increase the total costs to the healthcare system. This study evaluated the real-world healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs in patients who did and did not experience incident cardiovascular adverse events (CVAEs) during cBTKi treatment. Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with CLL/SLL who initiated ibrutinib or acalabrutinib treatment (index date) between 2020-2023 in the United States were identified using claims data from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database and followed up to 36 months post-index. Patients were stratified into two cohorts based on the presence of an incident CVAE during treatment with index cBTKi, defined as the occurrence of a CVAE not present in a patient's medical history. HCRU and costs were evaluated on a per 1,000 patient-months basis. Z tests and univariate gamma general linear models were used to compare HCRU and cost rates. HCRU between those who received ibrutinib or acalabrutinib were also assessed. Results: Overall, 2,069 eligible patients were identified with a mean ± SD age of 73.7 ± 9.1 years, and 40.4% were female. The mean ± SD [median] treatment-specific observation period was 11.4 ± 9.5 [8.5] months. Of the total cohort, 442 (21.4%) experienced at least one incident CVAE, while 1,627 patients (78.6%) experienced no CVAEs. Among those without a pre-index history of the specific CV AE of interest, the proportion of patients with incident events were 21.4% for hypertension, 9.8% for atrial fibrillation, 9.2% for atrial flutter, and 9.6% for ventricular arrhythmias. Patients who experienced an incident CVAE had 4,334 total days with medical service compared to 3,138 days in those who did not (p&lt;0.001). The drivers of differences in total medical service days between those with and without CVAEs were inpatient days (690 vs 230), followed by outpatient days (2,798 vs 2,425), other visits (e.g., hospice; 662 vs 375), and emergency room (ER) visits (184 vs 109). Total days with medical service were 3,458 in those who received ibrutinib and 3,410 with acalabrutinib. Total healthcare cost rates in those who experienced an incident CVAE were $20,250,560 compared to $17,413,460 in those without CVAEs (p&lt;0.001). Inpatient costs drove differences in total costs between those with CVAEs and those without ($3,417,948 vs $915,839, p&lt;0.001), followed by outpatient ($2,415,060 vs $1,769,628, p&lt;0.01) and ER costs ($186,820 vs $87,585, p&lt;0.001). Pharmacy costs were the largest contributor to total cost rates for both cohorts ($14,016,900 for those with a CVAE vs $14,473,270 without any CVAEs, p&lt;0.001). Regarding specific incident CVAEs, the cost difference in total costs between those with and without the event were $3,789,820 for atrial fibrillation (higher in those with the event), $3,867,160 for atrial flutter, $3,674,860 for ventricular arrhythmias, and $721,840 for hypertension. Inpatient costs were the largest driver in total cost differences between those with and without the specific CVAE of interest; inpatient cost differences were $3,255,699 higher in those with atrial fibrillation, $3,436,913 with atrial flutter, and $3,299,371 with ventricular arrhythmia. For hypertension, pharmacy costs drove differences in total costs and were $346,570 higher in those with the CVAE. Summary/Conclusion: Overall, the economic burden remains high in patients treated for CLL/SLL, especially in cBTKi patients experiencing an incident CVAE. These findings highlight the importance of careful treatment selection, safety monitoring, and early management of CVAEs in order to improve patient outcomes and reduce the downstream impacts on healthcare resources and costs.