Is venetoclax a targeted drug or a chemotherapy drug?

Venetoclax is a targeted drug, not a traditional chemotherapy drug. It is an oral small molecule inhibitor that specifically targets the BCL-2 (BCL-2) protein. BCL-2The protein is a protein that inhibits apoptosis and is often overexpressed in some cancer cells, especially in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). This overexpression prevents cancer cells from dying normally, leading to cancer progression. Venetoclax promotes cancer cells to enter the apoptosis program by inhibiting BCL-2 protein, thereby reducing the number of cancer cells.

Different from chemotherapy drugs, chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cells by interfering with processes such as cell division and DNA replication, regardless of whether they are cancer cells. Therefore, it is highly non-selective and often affects healthy cells, causing more side effects. Targeted drugs, such as venetoclax, specifically target specific molecules or signaling pathways related to cancer to achieve more precise treatment and reduce damage to normal cells.

Venetoclax is often combined with other drugs, such as obinutuzumab or ibrutinib, to treat certain types of blood cancers. Compared with traditional chemotherapy, targeted drugs usually have different side effects. For example, the common side effects of venetoclax include tumor lysis syndrome, leukopenia, anemia, etc., but its overall side effect spectrum is often milder and more controllable than chemotherapy drugs.

Therefore, venetoclax is a targeted therapy based on molecular mechanisms, suitable for the treatment of hematological malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia, and provides patients with a completely different treatment method from traditional chemotherapy.