Significant progress in hematological oncology was showcased at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, held from May 29 to June 2 in Chicago. This premier global oncology event highlights cutting-edge research and clinical practices across all tumor specialties. Following this, the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2026 abstracts were released online on May 12, presenting a concentrated view of breakthrough data, critical clinical trial advancements, and major research findings in the field.

Guotai Haitong Securities Co., Ltd. has released a research report outlining key developments from these conferences, focusing on multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML)/myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Key Findings in Multiple Myeloma

Johnson & Johnson's MajesTEC-9 study demonstrated a 71% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death and a 40% reduction in the risk of death. The Teclistamab group achieved a ≥CR rate of 65.9%, compared to 16.8% in the control group. A Tal+Dara+Pom combination therapy showed a 24-month PFS rate of 81.3%, an ORR of 88.2%, and an MRD-negative ≥CR rate of 52.3%.

Kelonia Therapeutics' KLN-1010 achieved a 100% MRD-negative rate in high-risk, heavily pre-treated patients, with an overall favorable safety profile.

Carsgen Therapeutics reported Phase I data for CT0596 in MM and plasma cell leukemia. Among 6 RRMM patients, 3 achieved sCR, 2 VGPR, and 1 PR. Both plasma cell leukemia patients achieved sCR. All patients achieved MRD negativity within 4 weeks, with no ≥G3 CRS events, indicating promising early efficacy and a favorable safety profile.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Updates

BeiGene presented data showing that zanu+sonro demonstrated superior efficacy compared to BTKi monotherapy, with a best uMRD4 negative rate of 99%. In data with a median follow-up exceeding 30 months, the PFS rate for the 320mg dose group remained at 100%. A Phase I study of a BTK CDAC for R/R CLL showed an ORR of 85.1% across all patients. A BCL2+BTK combination for R/R CLL yielded an ORR of 98% and a CR rate of 54%. In the 320mg sonro group, the 24-month PFS rate was 95% and the best PB uMRD4 rate was 86%.

InnoCare Pharma reported that ICP-248 combined with orelabrutinib showed preliminary clinical efficacy, with an overall ORR of 97.6%. The week 12 peripheral blood uMRD rate was 7.1% (1/14) in the 100mg group and improved to 46.2% (6/13) in the 125mg group. Early data suggests the 125mg dose has a clear advantage in MRD clearance.

Progress in AML and MDS

InnoCare Pharma also presented data on an ICP-248 + azacitidine combination therapy. In treatment-naïve MDS patients, the ORR reached 100%. In treatment-naïve AML patients, the composite complete response rate was 81.8%, demonstrating good safety and efficacy in both MDS and AML treatment.

Akeso, Inc. reported Phase II data for AK117 (CD47) + azacitidine + venetoclax in treatment-naïve AML, achieving an ORR of 80% and a uMRD rate of 46.7%, significantly extending survival for AML patients unsuitable for intensive chemotherapy.

In Vivo CAR-T Therapies Show Promise

Following a signed acquisition agreement with Eli Lilly, Kelonia Therapeutics reported strong early signals for its BCMA-targeting drug KLN-1010. All 18 treated MM patients showed a treatment response, and among 6 patients followed for over 4 months, 4 showed no detectable signs of cancer.

Legend Biotech presented the first data for its in vivo CAR-T cell therapy LB2501 in 12 R/R B-NHL patients. All 6 patients in the 2-dose group showed an objective response, with 5 achieving a complete response after a median follow-up of 2.2 months. The therapy demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no dose-limiting toxicities, serious adverse events, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, or deaths reported.

Investment Considerations and Risks

The report concludes with a reminder of potential investment risks, including data that may fall short of expectations, slower-than-anticipated research and development progress, sales performance below projections, and changes in regulatory requirements.