The Use of Venetoclax for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in a Real-Life Setting: A Multicenter National Experience

Background The oral anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 protein inhibitor venetoclax has shown strong activity in R/R AML in controlled clinical trials, and recently impressive results in treatment-naïve AML elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia. However, limited data are available in the real-life setting. Methods This is a multi-center (n=4), retrospective study involving patients with treatment-naïve or Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) AML treated with Venetoclax in combination with HMAs. Data were collected after anonymous aggregation, in accordance with GCP and Helsinky declaration. Adverse events (AEs) were graded according CTCAE v4.03. Survival is estimated with Kaplan-Meyer method. Results Forty-four patients have been prescribed Venetoclax from March 2018 to June 2019 and completed at least 1 course of venetoclax (range 1-8, median 2, IQR 2.0 - 4.0), being evaluable in this analysis. Patients's characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Five/44 (11.4%) patients had a low risk AML, 21/44 (47.7%) had an intermediate risk AML and 14/44 (31.8%) patients had a high risk AML, according to ELN 2017 risk stratification (4 patients had no available ELN risk at baseline). Six out of 44 (13.6%) patients received Venetoclax in combination with HMAs as first line of therapy, whereas 14/44 (31%) as first line rescue for resistant AML, 15/44 (34.1%) at first relapse, 9/44 (20.5%) for second or further R/R AML. Among R/R patients who received Venetoclax, 17/38 (44.7%) and 21/38 (55.2 %) had received chemotherapy or HMAs as induction therapy, respectively. Overall, Venetoclax was combined with azacitidine in 19/44 patients (43.2%), with decitabine in 19/44 patients (43.2%), with Low-dose of Cytarabine in 5/44 (11.4%), and was performed in monotherapy in 1/44 (2.3%) patient. Three out of 44 patients (6.8%) received a maximum dosage of 100 mg daily, 2/44 (4.5%) received 200 mg, 37/44 (84.1%) received 400mg and 2/44 (4.5%) received 600 mg. Fifteen out of 44 (34.1%) patients reduced the dosage of venetoclax for concomitant Azole administration. The median follow-up is 75.5 (IQR 45.2 - 178.5) days for patients who received upfront venetoclax therapy, while 143 (IQR 49.2 - 235.7) days for R/R patients. In the first-line setting, no patients reduced venetoclax dosage for concomitant adverse events; two neutropenia grade IV and two thrombocytopenia grade III have been documented. In the R/R setting, 14/38 (36.6%) patients reduced venetoclax dosage for concomitant adverse eve