Prognostic Biomarkers for Venetoclax and Hypomethylating Agents Therapy for AML

Danielle Hammond, MD, a clinical fellow in leukemia for the MD Anderson Cancer Center Leukemia Fellowship Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses prognostic factors indicating therapy success for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with a combination of venetoclax (Venclexta) and either decitabine or azacitadine.

According to Hammond, patients who are using the combination as a first-line therapy fair the best in both response and duration of response. However, further mutations in addition to the isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation being studied can provide further indictors on how the patient will fare on the combination.

The presence of a signaling mutation, especially in the RAS pathway was associated with a poorer response, Hammond said. Additionally, the presence of the TP53 mutation that existed prior to starting the combination was also associated with poorer outcomes.

However, the presence of an NPM1 co-mutation was associated with a deep and long response, according to Hammond.