Nemtabrutinib
Nemtabrutinib is Merck's reversible BTK blocker, active against the C481S escape mutation, being tested against ibrutinib and acalabrutinib in first-line CLL.
BELLWAVE-001 (phase 1/2): ORR 53% (including partial response with lymphocytosis) at the 65 mg dose in relapsed CLL/SLL. Phase 3 BELLWAVE-011 (vs ibrutinib or acalabrutinib, untreated CLL) and BELLWAVE-008 (vs chemoimmunotherapy) are recruiting as of mid-2026. Also inhibits other kinases (ERK pathway), which may add activity in Richter transformation.
1.Binds the BTK ATP pocket reversibly, unaffected by C481S
- Route
- Oral
- Schedule
- 65 mg once daily (RP2D)
- Monitoring
- Dysgeusia, neutropenia, hypertension, infections
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| Adverse event | Any grade | Grade 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Dysgeusia | 21% | — |
| Neutropenia | — | 17% |
| Hypertension | 15% | — |
Rates read from the source. Blank cells mean the figure was not sourced, not that it is zero.
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Landmark trials in OnCo
Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Nemtabrutinib" OR ABSTRACT:"Nemtabrutinib" OR TITLE:"MK-1026" OR ABSTRACT:"MK-1026" OR TITLE:"ARQ-531" OR ABSTRACT:"ARQ-531") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Nemtabrutinib, not a curated reading list.