What to Know About Jaypirca for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Written by Courtney Krueger, PharmD, BCPS
Medically Reviewed by Jessica Caporuscio, PharmD on March 12, 2025
5 min read

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a form of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. There are many types of leukemia, and CLL is a common type in adults. This type of cancer starts in the bone marrow and then goes into the blood. Often people do not have any symptoms of CLL for many years after the disease starts because it develops slowly, but symptoms may begin to appear as it spreads to the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, or other areas in the body. CLL is closely related to another leukemia called small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). CLL is more commonly found in the blood and bone marrow, while SLL is found more commonly in the lymph nodes.

Because CLL develops slowly, you may not need to be treated right away. You will work with your health care provider to find out when treatment is right for you. Your health care provider has many options for treating your CLL, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Jaypirca is a targeted therapy for CLL and other types of blood cancer.

Jaypirca is a targeted therapy for CLL and other specific cancers. It is known as a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTK inhibitor). BTK is an enzyme that helps certain types of cancer cells grow. Jaypirca blocks the BTK enzyme to help stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. It can help slow the spread of CLL. There are two types of BTK inhibitors, the noncovalent and covalent BTK inhibitors. Jaypirca is a noncovalent BTK inhibitor that acts differently from covalent BTK inhibitors. Jaypirca may work for people when other BTK inhibitors no longer work.

Jaypirca is an oral tablet that you should swallow whole with a glass of water one time each day. You may take Jaypirca with or without food but should take it at the same time each day. Do not cut, crush, or chew your Jaypirca tablets.

If you miss a dose of Jaypirca, take it as soon as you remember. If you missed your dose by more than 12 hours, skip the missed dose and take the next one at your usual time. 

Your health care provider may adjust your dose of Jaypirca if you have side effects, have kidney problems, or if you take Jaypirca with certain other medicines. Your health care provider may temporarily or permanently stop treatment with Jaypirca if you get side effects.

Your health care provider may consider treatment with Jaypirca if you have received two other treatments for your CLL. These previous treatments must include a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and a medicine known as a B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor.

The BRUIN study is an international clinical trial that looked at how well Jaypirca worked for people with relapsed (cancer that has come back) or refractory (cancer that is not responding to other treatments) B-cell cancers, such as CLL or SLL. The study included 247 people with CLL or SLL who had received at least one Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor. All people in the study received Jaypirca – it was not compared to another medicine. Jaypirca was continued until cancer progression or unacceptable side effects happened.

People in the study were 36 to 88 years old. There were more males (68%) than females in the study. Their races weren’t reported. Only one person in the trial had SLL; therefore, most people had CLL. People in the study had received up to 11 types of treatment with almost half (47%) of the people having received four or more treatments. People in the study had been diagnosed with CLL for eight to 15 years before starting the study.

The researchers looked at how well Jaypirca worked for CLL by using:

  • The overall response rate, which is the percentage of people who had cancer that shrank or could no longer be detected 
  • The duration of response, which is the period of time from the start of the study until death or progression of the cancer
  • Survival. Both overall survival (the percentage of people who are alive at a certain time) and survival without progression of the cancer (progression-free survival) were looked at.

The BRUIN CLL-321 was another international clinical trial that compared Jaypirca to other treatments for CLL or SLL. Every person in the trial had received at least one BTK inhibitor. The study included 238 people. People in the study were 42 to 90 years old. The patients in all three groups received a median of three prior lines of therapy.

People with CLL in the BRUIN trial who were previously treated with a BTK inhibitor benefited from Jaypirca treatment.

  • The overall response rate was 73.3%.
  • The median (middle) duration of response was 12.2 months.
  • The median time for progression-free survival was 19.6 months.
  • At 12 months, the overall survival was 86%, and at 18 months, the overall survival was 80.5%.

People in the BRUIN CLL-321 trial also benefited from Jaypirca treatment.

  • The median time for progression-free survival was 14 months with Jaypirca, compared to 8.7 months for people in the other treatment group.

Your results may differ from what was seen in clinical studies.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines consider Jaypirca to be a preferred treatment for relapsed (cancer that has come back) or refractory (cancer that is not responding to other treatments) CLL or SLL in people who have received a prior Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) treatment plan. 

Jaypirca starts working soon after you start taking the medicine, but it may take a few months for your health care provider to see whether your CLL is responding to the treatment. Your health care provider will use blood tests and scans to see if the cancer is improving.

The safety of Jaypirca was looked at in people who received the drug for at least one year. The researchers found that fatigue and diarrhea were the most common side effects related to the treatment and happened in about one-third of people. Only about 7% of people required a lower dose due to side effects, and only 3% stopped treatment because of side effects.

You can find a savings card from the maker of Jaypirca. The savings card may allow you to pay as little as $0 for your prescription. You may be eligible for this savings coupon if you have private drug insurance. You can read more about the savings coupon at this website.