Key clinical point: In patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) evolving from myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), treatment with venetoclax-based (VEN-b) regimens led to modest clinical responses with no substantial improvement in survival, but high treatment-associated hematologic toxicity and mortality.
Major finding: Median overall survival from initiation of VEN-b regimen was 4 (95% confidence interval, 2-8) months with 8-week mortality being 32%. Only 7 patients with newly diagnosed AML achieved a response, with 3 achieving complete remission, 3 achieving complete remission with incomplete count recovery, and 1 achieving partial remission. Grade 3 or higher infections were observed in 84% of patients during the initial treatment cycle, with severe hemorrhagic complications in 45% of patients.
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective analysis of 31 patients with newly diagnosed (n=14) or R/R (n=17) post-MPN-AML who were treated with VEN-b therapies.
Disclosures: This study was supported partly by a Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health to MD Anderson Cancer Center. Some investigators reported financial and nonfinancial ties with various pharmaceutical companies.
Source: Masarova L et al. Blood Adv. 2021 Apr 22. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003934 .