Olverembatinib + Blinatumomab Phase Ib Data at ASCO 2026: 91.3% Cytogenetic Response in Relapsed CML, Strong Activity in Ph+ ALL

On May 22, 2026, Ascentage Pharma released updated data from six clinical trials coinciding with ASCO 2026 abstract availability, including three datasets selected for rapid oral presentations at the annual meeting. The headline result is a Phase Ib multicenter study (led by Dr. Elias Jabbour at MD Anderson Cancer Center) evaluating olverembatinib (HQP1351), a third-generation BCR-ABL/Aurora kinase inhibitor, combined with blinatumomab (CD19/CD3 bispecific T-cell engager) in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoid blast-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) — one of the most treatment-resistant leukemia populations. A second dataset showed olverembatinib as second-line therapy in chronic-phase CML achieving a 91.3% complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) rate and 60.9% major molecular response (MMR) rate at Cycle 24 in 42 evaluable patients — deep molecular response rates rivaling the best second-generation TKIs (dasatinib, nilotinib) in a more heavily pre-treated population. Olverembatinib has activity against the T315I gatekeeper mutation — historically the most resistant BCR-ABL mutation — which drives resistance to first- and second-generation TKIs including imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib. The combination with blinatumomab rationally pairs targeted BCR-ABL inhibition with T-cell redirection against CD19+ leukemia blasts, potentially overcoming blast-phase transformation that is almost universally fatal without allogeneic stem cell transplant. These data contribute to a growing body of evidence for CML and Ph+ ALL treatment optimization as ASCO 2026 opens.