Midostaurin, enasidenib, CPX-351, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, and venetoclax bring new hope to AML.

In 2017, 4 drugs received US Food and Drug Administration marketing approval for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment: targeted therapies for mutant FLT3 and IDH2, a liposomal cytarabine-daunorubicin formulation for therapy-related AML and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes, and resurgence of an antibody-drug conjugate designed to target CD33. Promising results also emerged for the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax combined with low-intensity therapy in older patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. This quintet of new drugs is likely to reshape the therapeutic landscape of AML.

Wei AH ，Tiong IS 《-》

How I treat acute myeloid leukemia in the era of new drugs.

The acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment landscape has changed substantially since 2017. New targeted drugs have emerged, including venetoclax to target B-cell lymphoma 2, midostaurin and gilteritinib to target FLT3, and ivosidenib and enasidenib to target mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, respectively. Other additions include reapproval of gemtuzumab ozogomycin to target CD33, glasdegib to target the hedgehog pathway, and a liposomal formulation of daunorubicin and cytarabine (CPX-351). Genomically heterogeneous AML has a tendency to evolve, particularly under selective treatment pressure. For decades, treatment decisions have largely centered around chemotherapy drug intensity. Physicians now have access to an increasing number of drugs with novel mechanisms of action and distinctive side-effect profiles. Key issues faced by hematologists in this era of new drugs include (1) the timely identification of actionable mutations at diagnosis and at relapse; (2) deciding which drug to use among several therapeutic options; and (3) increasing awareness of how to anticipate, mitigate, and manage common complications associated with these new agents. This article will use 3 case presentations to discuss some of the new treatment challenges encountered in AML management, with the goal of providing practical guidance to aid the practicing physician.

DiNardo CD ，Wei AH 《-》

Venetoclax-based therapies for acute myeloid leukemia.

The prognosis of adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains poor, with the long-term survival rate less than 50%. However, the current paradigms of treatment are changing through a better understanding of the disease genetics and pathophysiology. Since 2017, eight new drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of AML, including the FLT3 inhibitors midostaurin and gilteritinib, the IDH inhibitors ivosidenib and enasidenib, the anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody gemtuzumab ozogamicin, liposomal daunorubicin and cytarabine, the hedgehog pathway inhibitor glasdegib and the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax. Preclinical data demonstrated the anti-leukemic efficacy of venetoclax in AML and its synergy when combined with hypomethylating agents or chemotherapy agents. Clinical trials have demonstrated the clinical benefit of venetoclax-based therapies in newly diagnosed AML, leading to the recent FDA approval of venetoclax in combination with hypomethylating agents or low-dose cytarabine for older adults with newly diagnosed AML. Herein, we focus on the role of single-agent BCL-2 inhibition in AML and review the clinical studies of venetoclax-based combination regimens and the evolving mechanisms of resistance.

Guerra VA ，DiNardo C ，Konopleva M 《-》

Which new agents will be incorporated into frontline therapy in acute myeloid leukemia?

For 4 decades, new agents had not been permanently approved for use in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The long dry spell was broken in 2017, however, with the approval of several agents: midostaurin for addition to chemotherapy in mutant FLT3 patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy, enasidenib in advanced mutant IDH2 patients, CPX-351 in secondary AML patients, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin in conjunction with standard chemotherapy in AML. This review surveys the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors to treat patients with mutant FLT3 AML, mutant KIT AML, as well as IDH inhibitors and explores some questions regarding their integration into the treatment armamentarium for AML.

Stone RM 《-》

New drugs creating new challenges in acute myeloid leukemia.

The therapeutic landscape is rapidly changing, with eight new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration within the last 2 years, including midostaurin and gilteritinib for FLT3 mutant newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML), respectively; CPX-351 (liposomal cytarabine and daunorubicin) for therapy-related AML and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes; gemtuzumab ozogamicin (anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody conjugated with calicheamicin) for newly diagnosed and R/R CD33-positive AML; enasidenib and ivosidenib for IDH2 and IDH1 mutant R/R AML, respectively. Novel therapies have also emerged for newly diagnosed AML in adults who are age 75 years or older, or who have comorbidities that preclude the use of intensive induction chemotherapy. These include venetoclax (BCL-2 inhibitor) in combination with hypomethylating agents (azacitidine or decitabine) or low-dose cytarabine (LDAC), and glasdegib (sonic hedgehog pathway inhibitor) in combination with LDAC. This flurry of new drug approvals has markedly altered the treatment landscape in AML and provided new opportunities, as well as new challenges for treating clinicians. This review will focus on how these drugs might shape clinical practice and the hurdles likely to be faced by new therapies seeking entry into this dynamic and rapidly changing therapeutic landscape.

Tiong IS ，Wei AH 《-》