Venetoclax is safe and efficacious in relapsed/refractory AML

Abstract

Data from 11 Israeli centers, where venetoclax was used for relapsed/refractory AML after intensive chemotherapy, were retrospectively collected. During 2016–2019, forty patients were identified. Median age was 67 years (21–82), 60% males, median of 2(1–4) prior lines of treatment and 42% relapsed after allogeneic transplant. 62.5% of the patients received the venetoclax with hypomethylating agents and 22.5% with low dose cytarabine. Median follow-up was 5.5 months. Of the 29 patients who survived for more than two cycles of therapy, 22 (76%) achieved neutrophil recovery and 59% (n = 17) recovered also their platelet count. In 15 (52% of those who survived > 2 months), CR/CRi was confirmed by bone marrow examination. The median OS from venetoclax initiation of all the patients and of those who survived more than 2 months was 5.5 and 6.5 months, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that venetoclax is safe and active also in AML patients with advanced disease.

Keywords:

• Acute myeloid leukemia
• venetoclax
• relapse
• refractory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author Contributions

Chezi Ganzel: planned the study, performed the study, wrote the manuscript; Ron Ram: performed the study; Alexander Gural: performed the study; Ofir Wolach: performed the study; Sharon Gino-Moor: performed the study; Vladimir Vainstein: performed the study; Boaz Nachmias: performed the study; Arie Apel: performed the study; Maya Koren-Michowitz: performed the study, contributed to the writing of the manuscript; Oren Pasvolsky: performed the study; Ronit Yerushalmi: performed the study; Ivetta Danylesko: performed the study; Yosef Cohen: performed the study; Galit Peretz: performed the study; Yakir Moshe: performed the study; Miri Zektser: performed the study; Shay Yeganeh: performed the study; Jacob M Rowe: planned the study, contributed to the writing of the manuscript; Yishai Ofran: planned the study, performed the study, contributed to the writing of the manuscript.