Venetoclax and azacitidine combination in chemotherapy ineligible untreated patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, antecedent myelodysplastic syndromes, or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Authors: Vinod Pullarkat, Keith Pratz, Hartmut Dohner, Christian Recher, Michael J. Thirman, Courtney Denton Dinardo, Pierre Fenaux, Andre C. Schuh, Andrew H. Wei, Arnaud Pigneux, Jun Ho Jang, Gunnar Juliusson, Kazuhito Miyazaki, Dominik Selleslag, Martha Lucia Arellano, Kiran Naqvi, Jun Yu, Jean Ridgeway, Jalaja Potluri, Marina Konopleva
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2021)

7011 Background: Patients (pts) with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (tMN), antecedent myelodysplastic syndrome, or antecedent myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (A-MDS/MPN) may have poor outcomes due to age and adverse genetic/karyotypic features. In the VIALE-A study, pts with tMN and A-MDS/MPN unfit for intensive chemotherapy treated with venetoclax (Ven) and azacitidine (Aza) demonstrated superior response rates and overall survival (OS) than Aza alone. Herein, the efficacy and safety of Ven+Aza among pts with tMN and A-MDS/MPN are described. Methods: Data were pooled from pts enrolled in VIALE-A (NCT02993523) comparing pts who received Ven+Aza or placebo (Pbo)+Aza and a prior phase 1b study (NCT02203773) where pts received Ven+Aza. Enrolled pts were ≥18 years, treatment-naïve with no prior exposure to hypomethylating agents, and ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. Pts on Ven+Aza received Ven 400 mg orally (days 1–28) and Aza (75 mg/m 2 ; days 1-7/28-day cycle). Composite complete remission rate (CRc; complete remission [CR] + CR with incomplete hematologic recovery [CRi]), duration of response (DoR), and OS were assessed. Disease assessments were per modified International Working Group response criteria for AML. Results: In this pooled analysis, tMN was observed in (Ven+Aza/Pbo+Aza) 31/9 and A-MDS/MPN in 59/26 pts. Poor-risk cytogenetics were observed in 18 (58%)/6 (67%) with tMN (5 or 5q deletion [del]: 4/1 ; 7 or 7q del: 6/1 ; complex [≥ 3 clonal abnormalities]: 10/4), and 19 (32%)/13 (50%) with A-MDS/MPN (5 or 5q del: 10/5; 7 or 7q del: 6/1; complex: 14/9). TP53 mutation was observed in 5/3 pts with tMN and 8/0 pts with A-MDS/MPN. Pts with tMN received a median (Ven+Aza/Pbo+Aza) of 5/4 cycles of treatment. CRc was achieved by 19 (61%)/1 (11%). The mDoR was not reached (NR) (95% CI: 17.8, NR)/8.5 (NR, NR) months. The mOS was 16.4 (95% CI: 4.1, NR)/11.3 (0.6, 17.5) months. Pts with A-MDS/MPN received a median (Ven+Aza/Pbo+Aza) of 9/5 cycles of treatment. CRc was achieved by 39 (66%)/7 (27%) pts with mDoR of 17.3 (95% CI: 9.6, NR)/5.8 (1.1, NR) mos. The mOS was 15.9 (95% CI: 11.5, NR)/10.1 (4.7, 14.5) mos. Common grade≥3 adverse events (Ven+Aza/Pbo+Aza) were febrile neutropenia (tMN: 39%/11% and A-MDS/MPN: 36%/12%) neutropenia (tMN: 29%/33%; A-MDS/MPN: 39%31%), and thrombocytopenia (tMN: 32%/33%; A-MDS/MPN: 39%/62%). Conclusions: Ven+Aza compared to Aza monotherapy resulted in higher CRc rates with longer DoR and median OS among treatment-naïve pts with tMN and A-MDS/MPN ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. The safety profile was similar to overall pts with the Ven+Aza combination. Outcomes by cytogenetic and molecular risk-groups will be presented. Clinical trial information: NCT02993523, NCT02203773.