Blinatumomab vs Chemotherapy for Pediatric and Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Several therapeutic methods are used to cure acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Relapsed/refractory B-cell <em>ALL</em> (R/R B-ALL) remains the primary cause of death worldwide due to the limitation of cure. Blinatumomab is a bispecific T-cell engaging antibody used to treat R/R B-ALL. The use of blinatumomab for treating R/R B-ALL has shown to be very efficient, especially as a bridge tool to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The response to blinatumomab treatment ranged from 69% after two cycles in phase II clinical trials. Blinatumomab has shown great anti-leukemia activity as a single agent in children with R/R B-ALL. Here, we will review the data from several research groups that show pharmacological and clinical data on blinatumomab for pediatric and adult B-ALL, both as an immunotherapeutic and in combination.