Is venetoclax/venetoclax a chemotherapy drug or a maintenance drug?

Venetoclax/Venetoclax is a targeted drug used to treat certain types of blood cancers, especially chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Its mechanism of action is through selective inhibition of BCL-2 protein, an anti-apoptotic protein highly expressed in various cancers. Overexpression of BCL-2 protein can prevent normal apoptosis of cancer cells, thereby promoting tumor growth and spread. The introduction of venetoclax provides new treatment options for patients with these diseases, especially those who are no longer sensitive to traditional chemotherapy.

Veneclar is not considered a chemotherapy drug in the traditional sense, but falls into the category of targeted therapy. It is often used to treat patients who have received other treatments that have not responded well. The drug can be combined with other treatments, such as anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab, to increase efficacy. In clinical trials, venetoclax has shown good efficacy and a relatively acceptable safety profile, with many patients achieving significant responses after using the drug.

In some cases, venetoclax may also be used as part of maintenance therapy, especially after a patient has undergone initial chemotherapy or other treatments to reduce the risk of disease recurrence. Patients started taking venetoclax at a low dose and gradually increased it over the first 5 weeks of treatment. Some people must stay in the hospital overnight (stay in the hospital) for several days of treatment. The purpose of maintenance treatment is to delay the progression of the disease and improve the patient's survival rate through long-term use of drugs. Therefore, venetoclax can not only be used as an induction treatment drug in certain clinical situations, but can also be used for maintenance treatment after the patient reaches a certain clinical remission.

Reference materials:https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/venetoclax