After Imbruvica Passes Chemo-Free Tests, Shorter Duration Regimens Could Be Next Value-Adds

AbbVie Inc.'s Imbruvica (ibrutinib) made a big splash at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting earlier this month with multiple studies making the case for the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor as a new chemotherapy-free standard of care in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). But the company and its partner – Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. – continue to look for additional value that the drug can bring to patients, physicians and the health care system.

Imbruvica was added to AbbVie's portfolio with the $21bn acquisition of Pharmacyclics Inc. in 2015. (Also see "AbbVie outdoes rumored J&J bid with $21bn Pharmacyclics buy" - Scrip, 5 March, 2015