Eli Lilly's Jaypirca Triplet Regimen Cuts Disease Progression Risk in CLL/SLL Trial (LLY)

Eli Lilly (LLY) announced April 13 that Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib), when added to venetoclax and rituximab, significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), according to new clinical study data. The trial results demonstrated that the triplet combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared to the control arm, reinforcing Jaypirca's potential as a backbone therapy in CLL/SLL treatment. Specific hazard ratio and median PFS figures were not disclosed in the initial release. Jaypirca, a non-covalent BTK inhibitor, received FDA approval for relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL in 2023. The new data strengthen Lilly's oncology pipeline at a time when the company faces intensifying competition in the BTK inhibitor space from AstraZeneca's Calquence and AbbVie's Imbruvica. Full study results are expected to be presented at an upcoming medical conference.