Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a promising novel targeted treatment for B cell lymphomas

Summary Constitutive or aberrant signalling of the B cell receptor signalling cascade has been implicated in the propagation and maintenance of a variety of B cell malignancies. Small molecule inhibitors of B ruton tyrosine kinase ( BTK ), a protein early in this cascade and specifically expressed in B cells, have emerged as a new class of targeted agents. There are several BTK inhibitors, including ONO ‐ WG ‐307, LFM ‐ A 13, dasatinib, CC ‐292, and PCI ‐32765 (ibrutinib), in preclinical and/or clinical development of which ibrutinib is currently in phase III trials. Recent clinical data suggest significant activity of ibrutinib as a first in class oral inhibitor of BTK . This review provides an overview of ongoing clinical studies of BTK inhibitors.