ASH 2020 | Venetoclax and azacitidine for young patients with AML

Daniel Pollyea, MD, MS, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, discusses the interim results of a Phase II study (NCT03573024) exploring the feasibility and outcomes of venetoclax plus azacitidine in newly diagnosed, younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Intensive induction chemotherapy (IC) is the standard of care in these patients aged 18-59, but responses are suboptimal, particularly in patients with adverse disease characteristics that may make them unlikely to respond. Venetoclax and azacitidine, used in patients unfit for chemotherapy, do not have lower response rates for those with adverse risk. Therefore, the combination was trialed in younger patients with adverse disease features. With 8 patients treated so far, the study found that 6 subjects achieved complete remission, where 5/6 achieved measurable residual disease-negativity. This interview took place during the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, 2020.