Are novel agents ready to assume the mantle in the frontline treatment of mantle cell lymphoma?

Overview

Although chemotherapy has been a mainstay of the frontline treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) for many years, novel agents-including Bruton kinase inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, and BCL2 inhibitors-have shown promise in patients with relapsed and refractory disease, and they are also being studied in the frontline setting. This review summarizes the current clinical data for using these novel agents in untreated MCL, both in combination with chemotherapy and singly, and discusses some of the trials currently under way to assess their future potential.