Venetoclax plus 3 + 7 daunorubicin and cytarabine chemotherapy as first-line treatment for adults with acute myeloid leukaemia: a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial

Summary

Background

Adults with acute myeloid leukaemia have unsatisfactory clinical outcomes and rates of complete remission. Venetoclax combined with azacytidine or low-dose cytarabine has shown efficacy in adults aged 75 years or older (or 18–74 years with comorbidities precluding intensive chemotherapy) with acute myeloid leukaemia. We aimed to investigate the activity and safety of venetoclax plus 3+7 daunorubicin and cytarabine chemotherapy in adults with acute myeloid leukaemia.

Methods

We conducted a two-stage, single-arm, phase 2 trial at three public hospitals in China. We enrolled patients aged 18–60 years with previously untreated de novo acute myeloid leukaemia and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2. Patients received induction treatment with intravenous daunorubicin (60 mg/m² on days 1–3), intravenous cytarabine (100 mg/m² on days 1–7), and oral venetoclax (100 mg on day 4, 200 mg on day 5, and 400 mg on days 6–11; DAV regimen). For induction therapy, the length of the treatment was 28–35 days per cycle and the number of treatment cycles was one or two. The primary endpoint was the composite complete remission rate (complete remission plus complete remission with incomplete blood cell count recovery) after one cycle of induction treatment, assessed in the as-treated population. Secondary endpoints were bone marrow measurable residual disease by flow cytometry, event-free survival, overall survival, and adverse events. This trial is ongoing and is registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000041509.

Findings

Between Dec 25, 2020, and July 7, 2021, 36 patients were assessed for eligibility and 33 were enrolled. 15 (45%) patients were men and 18 (55%) were women, and all were Asian. The composite complete remission rate after one cycle of DAV regimen was 91% (95% CI 76–98; 30 of 33 patients) in the entire cohort. 29 (97%) of 30 patients who reached complete remission had undetectable measurable residual disease (ie, <0·1%). Grade 3 or worse adverse events included neutropenia in 33 (100%) of 33 patients, thrombocytopenia in 33 (100%), anaemia in 33 (100%), febrile neutropenia in 18 (55%), pneumonia in seven (21%), and sepsis in four (12%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. With a median follow-up of 11 months (IQR 9–12), estimated 1-year overall survival was 97% (95% CI 91–100) and 1-year event-free survival was 72% (56–94).

Interpretation

The DAV regimen represents an effective induction therapy for newly diagnosed adults with acute myeloid leukaemia, which resulted in a high rate of complete remission. These findings are an important contribution to the field, showing a safe strategy to incorporate venetoclax into the most common induction regimen used to treat newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia internationally.

Funding

Leading Innovative and Entrepreneur Team Introduction Program of Zhejiang, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang.

Translation

For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.