Dasatinib combined with Venetoclax is effective and safe for chronic phase CML

A Phase II trial evaluating the combination of dasatinib plus venetoclax found it to be an effective and safe treatment for chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The findings were recently published in the journal Cancer. Studies have shown that the cumulative response rate of the combination is similar to that of the single agent dasatinib.

The trial cohort included65 patients with chronic or accelerated CML, with an average age of 46 years. They received three courses of dasatinib 50 mg/day and, during the fourth course, started a three-year course of venetoclax with an initial dose of 200 mg/day and then reduction. After three years of this combination, the patient was switched to maintenance single-agent dasatinib.

At 12 months on the dual-drug combination, the patient cohort had a major molecular response (MMR) rate of 86%, a molecular response (MR) 4 rate of 53%, and an MR4.5 rate of 45%. Comparing the combination to the single-agent dasatinib regimen, both produced a cumulative 12-month MMR rate of 79%. After a median follow-up of 42 months, the cohort calculated a 4-year event-free survival rate of 96% and an overall survival rate of 100%.

Further follow-up is needed to assess rates of durable deep molecular response and treatment-free remission. Comparing the incidence of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, the incidence of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was 22% in the combination group and 11% in the dasatinib alone group (P<0.001).