Venetoclax Therapy for Relapsed and Treatment Refractory AML: Clinical Outcomes and Molecular Predictors
Authors: Stahl Maximilian , Menghrajani Kamal , Derkach Andriy , Chan Alexander , Xiao Wenbin , Glass Jacob L , King Amber C. , Daniyan Anthony , Famulare Christopher , Cuello Bernadette M. , Abdel-Wahab Omar , Levine Ross L. , Viny Aaron D , Stein Eytan M. , Roshal Mikhail , Tallman Martin S. , Goldberg Aaron D 
Published: November 2020

Background: Venetoclax combined with azacitidine (aza/ven), decitabine (dec/ven), and low-dose cytarabine (LDAC/ven) is commonly used off-label in relapsed/refractory (RR)-AML patients; however, predictors of response and survival are incompletely understood.
Objectives: To report clinical outcomes of RR-AML patients (pts) treated with venetoclax combination therapy and to analyze molecular predictors of these outcomes.
Methods: All pts with RR-AML, who received treatment with aza/ven, dec/ven or LDAC/ven from 08/2016 to 02/2020 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City were included. The best response to therapy was determined using the 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) response criteria. The overall response rate (ORR) was defined as the combination of the complete response (CR) + complete response with incomplete count recovery (CRi) + morphologic leukemia free state (MLFS) rate. Measurable residual disease (MRD) was assessed by multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow aspirate samples and any level of residual disease was considered MRD+. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from cycle 1 day 1 of therapy until death or time of last follow-up.
Results: A total of 86 pts were treated with venetoclax-based combination therapy (A). Median age was 67 years. More than half of the pts had received prior HMA therapy, 17% had received a prior allogeneic stem cell transplant. The majority of pts received aza/ven (41%) while 23% and 31% received dec/ven and LDAC/ven, respectively. Treatment trajectories of all patients are shown in the Swimmers' plot in panel (B). While the ORR was 31% and 24% of patients achieved a CR/CRi, 60% of pts were refractory to venetoclax therapy; 45% of responding pts eventually relapsed with a median follow up of 12 months (B, C).
Oncoprint showing associations between molecular patterns and response to venetoclax combination therapy is shown in panel (D). Mutations in NPM1 (CR/CRi 46%, ORR 62%; OR 4.53, 95% CI 1.31-15.66, p=0.02) and IDH1 (CR/CRi 56%, ORR 67%; OR 5.3, 95% CI 1.21-23.24, p=0.03) but not in IDH2 (CR/CRi 40%, ORR 40%; OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.49-4.99, p=0.54) were associated with statistically significantly increased response rates. Adverse cytogenetics predicted lower odds of response (CR/CRi 11%, ORR 20%; OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.11-0.9, p=0.03). While TP53 (0%), NRAS/KRAS (20%/0%), SF3B1 (0%), ASXL1 (17%) and EZH2 (0%) mutations were associated with low response rates, due to small sample size, these associations were not statistically significant.
Median OS for all pts was 6.1 months (95%CI: 4.9-10 month) (E). Pts who were treated with aza/ven had a median OS of 25 months (95% CI 5.8 months-NR), as compared to 5.4 months for patients treated with dec/ven (95% CI 3.9 months-NR; HR 1.63, p=0.2) and 3.9 months for patients treated with LDAC/ven (OS 3.9 months, 95% CI 2.5-8.3 months; HR 2.71, p=0.002). Presence of adverse cytogenetics, TP53 and KRAS/NRAS mutations was associated with poor OS (4.1 months, 95% CI 3.2-6.1 months) compared to a favorable OS when these features were absent (15 months, 95% CI 7.1 months-NA, p=0.001; F). In contrast, presence of mutations in IDH1/2, NPM1 or STAG2 was associated with prolonged OS (15 months, 95% CI 7.1 months-NA) whereas absence of these favorable mutations predicted poor OS (4.4 months, 95% CI 3.5-6.4 months, p=0.0051). Additionally, EZH2 (HR 4.13, p=0.01; H) and SF3B1 (HR 2.5, p=0.02; I) mutations predicted worse OS.
Conclusion: Response rates to venetoclax combination therapy in RR-AML pts appeared lower than what has been reported for AML pts who receive venetoclax therapy as first line treatment. However, response rates were high and survival favorable for RR-AML pts with mutations in NPM1, IDH1 and STAG2. In contrast, RR-AML pts with high-risk molecular features such as adverse cytogenetics and mutations in TP53, KRAS/NRAS, EZH2 and SF3B1 had poor outcomes. Clinical trials combining aza/ven with novel therapeutics targeting specific adverse molecular characteristics are urgently needed to improve the outcomes of venetoclax therapy in RR-AML patients.
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Disclosures
Xiao: Stemline Therapeutics: Research Funding. Glass:Gerson Lehman Group: Consultancy. King:Abbvie: Other: advisory board. Abdel-Wahab:Merck: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Envisagenics Inc.: Current equity holder in private company; H3 Biomedicine Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding. Levine:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Lilly: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy; Amgen: Honoraria; Isoplexis: Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Honoraria; Imago: Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; C4 Therapeutics: Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Loxo: Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Prelude Therapeutics: Research Funding; Qiagen: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stein:Amgen: Consultancy; Astellas Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Biotheryx: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Syndax: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Research Funding; Syros: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; PTC Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi-Sankyo: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Tallman:UpToDate: Patents & Royalties; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncolyze: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Delta Fly Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rigel: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; KAHR: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi-Sankyo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bioline rx: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding; Rafael: Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Research Funding; BioSight: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; Orsenix: Research Funding; Cellerant: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding. Goldberg:Aptose: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; Aprea: Research Funding; AROG: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celularity: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Dava Oncology: Honoraria.

OffLabel Disclosure:
venetoclax therapy for the treatment for realpsed and treatment refractory AML