Key Blood Cancer Advances for Patients From the 2025 ASH Annual Meeting

At the 2025 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, researchers presented new findings that have the potential to meaningfully affect how blood cancers are treated, as well as how patients and families experience care. From potential new drug combinations to research highlighting financial strain during treatment, the following five stories stood out for their potential patient impact.

New Combination Therapy Shows Strong, Durable Benefits in Untreated Myelofibrosis

New data from the phase 3 MANIFEST-2 trial showed that adding pelabresib to Jakafi (ruxolitinib) provided deeper and longer-lasting benefits than Jakafi alone for patients with myelofibrosis who had not previously received a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor.

At 96 weeks, more than 90% of evaluable patients receiving the combination achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in spleen size, compared with approximately 58% of patients treated with Jakafi alone. Patients also experienced greater and more durable symptom relief, with improved fatigue, discomfort and overall quality of life.

Importantly, the combination demonstrated favorable effects on anemia, a common and challenging complication of myelofibrosis, and showed signals of improved bone marrow fibrosis. Side effects were largely manageable and similar to those seen with Jakafi alone. These findings suggest that pelabresib plus Jakafi may represent a more effective first-line option for patients newly diagnosed with myelofibrosis.

Many Families of Children With ALL Experience Severe Financial Hardship During Treatment

Research presented at ASH highlighted the financial burden faced by families of children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer.

Investigators found that approximately one-third of families experienced catastrophic income loss or difficulty meeting basic needs such as housing, food or utilities during their child’s treatment. Notably, even families without financial hardship at diagnosis were at significant risk of developing new financial strain over the two-year course of therapy.

These findings underscore the need for repeated financial screening throughout treatment and earlier access to supportive resources. Addressing financial toxicity is an essential component of high-quality cancer care, particularly for families facing long and intensive treatment schedules, according to study presenters.

Fixed-Duration Therapy Offers Treatment-Free Breaks for Patients With CLL

Results from the phase 3 CLL17 trial showed that fixed-duration treatment with Venclexta (venetoclax)combinations delayed disease progression just as effectively as continuous therapy with Imbruvica (ibrutinib) in previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Patients who received time-limited therapy for approximately one year achieved similar progression-free and overall survival outcomes compared with those who remained on indefinite treatment. Importantly, combination therapies led to deeper remissions, including higher rates of complete response and undetectable minimal residual disease.

For many patients, these findings support the possibility of effective treatment followed by a meaningful break from therapy, which may reduce long-term side effects and improve daily quality of life.

KRd Improves Disease Control in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Interim results from the phase 3 COBRA trial demonstrated that Kyprolis (carfilzomib) plus Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (KRd) improved progression-free survival compared with the long-standing standard regimen Velcade (bortezomib) plus Revlimid and dexamethasone (VRd) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The benefit was observed across both standard-risk and high-risk disease groups, with particularly strong results in patients eligible for autologous stem cell transplant. Although KRd was associated with higher rates of certain side effects, such as cardiac events and neutropenia, it caused less nerve damage than VRd.

These findings suggest that KRd may offer deeper and more durable disease control for some patients starting myeloma treatment.

Promising First-Line Option Emerges for Older Patients With DLBCL

New data from the EPCORE NHL-2 trial showed that adding Epkinly (epcoritamab-bysp) to dose-reduced R-mini-CHOP produced high response rates in older patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who cannot tolerate full-dose chemotherapy.

More than 90% of patients responded to treatment, and most achieved complete remission. Responses were rapid and durable, with the majority of patients remaining cancer-free at two years. Side effects, including cytokine release syndrome, were mostly mild to moderate and manageable.

For older adults with limited treatment options, this fixed-duration combination may represent a more effective and tolerable first-line approach.

References

1. “New Data Support Pelabresib Combination in Untreated Myelofibrosis,” by Paige Britt. CURE; Dec. 9, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/new-data-support-pelabresib-combination-in-untreated-myelofibrosis
2. “Families of Children With ALL Face Catastrophic Financial Toxicity,” by Alex Biese. CURE; Dec. 6, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/families-of-children-with-all-face-catastrophic-financial-toxicity
3. “Fixed Duration Venclexta Combos Delay Progression in CLL Similarly to Imbruvica,” by Gina Mauro. CURE; Dec. 6, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/fixed-duration-venclexta-combos-delay-progression-in-cll-similarly-to-imbruvica
4. “KRd Improves Progression in Newly Diagnosed Patients With Myeloma,” by Jax DiEugenio. CURE; Dec. 7, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/krd-improves-progression-in-newly-diagnosed-patients-with-myeloma
5. “Older Patients With DLBCL May Benefit From First-Line Epkinly Plus R-mini-CHOP,” by Kristie L. Kahl. CURE; Dec. 7, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/older-patients-with-dlbcl-may-benefit-from-first-line-epkinly-plus-r-mini-chop

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