Venetoclax schedule in AML: 7 vs 14 vs 21 vs 28 days
Naseema Gangat, Ayalew Tefferi
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) afflicts older individuals (median age 68 years), the majority of whom are unfit to receive intensive induction chemotherapy. In November 2018, the FDA granted accelerated approval to venetoclax (Ven), a small molecule selective inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (bcl-2), in combination with hypomethylating agents (HMA) and established a new standard of care for newly diagnosed (ND) elderly or unfit patients with AML [ 1 , 2 ]. In recent years, the ubiquitous use of Ven for the treatment of AML has brought to the fore questions related to Ven sensitivity/resistance, optimal dosing schedule and duration of therapy. In the current commentary, we share lessons learned from Ven use in routine practice including our insights on genetic predictors of response and Ven dosing strategies in AML.