ASH 2020 | Ponatinib, venetoclax and dex for R/R Ph+ ALL

Nicholas Short, MD, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, shares the safety and efficacy findings of a Phase I/II trial (NCT03576547) of combined ponatinib, venetoclax and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R Ph+ ALL). Ponatinib, a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, shows short-lived responses when used as a single agent. It has been shown pre-clinically to act synergistically with venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor. Patients were given ponatinib doses according to their remission status, and the trial aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of venetoclax in the combination. The study is continuing to enrol participants, but the safety and efficacy data gathered so far suggests the chemotherapy-free regimen to be promising in this population. This interview took place during the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, 2020.