
Switching From Ibrutinib to Zanubrutinib Improves Cardiac Safety and Workflow: Mohit Narang, MD
Switching patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) from ibrutinib to zanubrutinib has led to fewer cardiac adverse effects and a reduced workload for Mohit Narang, MD, managing partner at Maryland Oncology Hematology.
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For patients with
In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), Narang described his approach to proactively transitioning patients to zanubrutinib, a next-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTK) approved to treat CLL. He said that among patients who had been on ibrutinib for 10 or more years, he began conversations early, emphasizing zanubrutinib’s improved safety profile, particularly its lower risk for atrial fibrillation (AFib) and other
“I must have converted close to 50 to 60 patients,” Narang said. “With our whole practice, we must have done 100 plus.”
Although ibrutinib has been an effective first-generation BTK inhibitor, Narang explained in
“It has also helped my financial staff, because now it's easier to get them approved, because we are just doing 1 drug,” Narang added.
This improved safety in a real-world setting mirrors data from recent research. In one study, fewer
“My goal is to be preemptive so that we don't have any side effects,” Narang said in the interview.
References
- Klein HE, Narang M. Switching patients with CLL from ibrutinib for zanubrutinib: Mohit Narang, MD. AJMC. May 15, 2025. Accessed May 30, 2025.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/switching-patients-with-cll-from-ibrutinib-for-zanubrutinib-mohit-narang-md - Klein HE. In CLL, zanubrutinib shows better safety profile than ibrutinib. AJMC. March 20, 2025. Accessed May 30, 2025.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/in-cll-zanubrutinib-shows-better-safety-profile-than-ibrutinib
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