Optimal use of bendamustine in hematologic disorders: Treatment recommendations from an international consensus panel – an update

Abstract

Bendamustine has achieved widespread international regulatory approval and is a standard agent for the treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Since approval, the number of indications for bendamustine has expanded to include aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma and novel targeted therapies, based on new bendamustine regimens/combinations, are being developed against CLL and lymphomas. In 2010, an international panel of bendamustine experts met and published a set of recommendations on the safe and effective use of bendamustine in patients suffering from hematologic disorders. In 2014, this panel met again to update these recommendations since the clarification of issues including optimal dosing and management of bendamustine-related toxicities. The aim of this report is to communicate the latest consensus on the use of bendamustine, permitting the expansion of its safe and effective administration, particularly in new combination therapies.

Keywords:

• Bendamustine
• CLL
• NHL
• Hodgkin
• multiple myeloma

Acknowledgements

Mundipharma International Limited funded this project with an educational grant, but did not participate in the Consensus Panel meeting nor had any editorial control of the content of the manuscript. We would like to thank Dr Faith Davies for attending the Consensus Panel meeting and contributing to those discussions. We would also like to thank Francesca Hemingway and Gabrielle Parker from Watermeadow Medical for providing editorial and submission assistance. BC has received research funding to institution from Teva, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, Celgene, Roche-Genentech and Acerta; consulting fees from Mundipharma, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, Celgene, Roche-Genentech, Astra Zeneca, Spectrum, Seattle Genetics, Astellas. WB has provided consulting, attended advisory boards and lectured for Mundipharma, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Roche, Teva, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer and Janssen. GD has received an unrestricted research grant from Mundipharma. MD has received institutional support and speaker honoraria from Mundipharma. BK has received research funding and consulting fees from Teva. EK has attended advisory boards for Pharmacyclics, Jansen, Gilead, Teva and Mundipharma; attended advisory boards and lectured for Pfizer; and received grants and honoraria for lectures for Roche. MO has received institutional research funding from Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Chugai Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, GSK, Astra Zeneca, Symbio and Mundipharma. EW has received honoraria for the Consensus meeting and sponsored conference attendance at ICML 2015. C-MW has received research funding from Mundipharma, honoraria from Cephalon and Travel grants from Teva. PLZ has attended advisory boards for Mundipharma.

Potential conflict of interest

Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10428194.2015.1099647.