The AML treatment landscape is quickly evolving, bringing new therapies and new hope for patients. Dr. Sangeetha Venugopal, an AML expert, discusses the latest advances in research, including targeted therapies and oral medications, and she shares why self-advocacy is an important part of accessing the best possible care.
Dr. Sangeetha Venugopal is Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Hematology at the University of Miami. Learn more about Dr. Venugopal.
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Transcript
Katherine Banwell:
Dr. Venugopal, what are the recent advances in treatment and research for AML?
Dr. Sangeetha Venugopal:
I’m so excited about the recent advances, especially with molecularly targeted therapy, as well as how we actually administer therapy. Until recently, we only had intravenous formulations of medications, but now we are switching to all-oral formulations of medications for acute myeloid leukemia. As for the molecular treatment, we do have a newer kid on the block. Not necessarily very new, but in the recent year—we have menin inhibitors, which are currently approved for KMT2A-rearranged AML, as well as for NPM1-mutated AML in the relapsed/refractory setting.
As for the oral therapy, it is an oral formulation of decitabine (Dacogen) and venetoclax (Venclexta), which is approved for older individuals who are unable to receive intensive chemotherapy. This was recently published less than a month ago.
Katherine Banwell:
How are the newer therapies improving outcomes for patients?
Dr. Sangeetha Venugopal:
I would say the oral formulation of decitabine and venetoclax is the equivalent of the IV formulation of azacitidine (Vidaza) and venetoclax. It’s almost the same outcomes as one would get for intravenous azacitidine, as well as the oral formulation of decitabine. In the relapsed/refractory setting, it remains to be seen, mainly because we don’t have blockbusters for the relapsed/refractory setting.
Even though now we are saying the menin inhibitors are the newer kids on the block, and this is employed in the relapsed/refractory setting of KMT2A-rearranged and NPM1-mutated AML, the duration of response is not forever. I would imagine, for my patient who I am administering a monotherapy for relapsed/refractory KMT2A or NPM1-mutated AML, I would hope to take them to transplant, which will solidify the remission that we gain with the menin inhibitor.
Katherine Banwell:
Dr. Venugopal, what should patients and care partners know about these recent advances in AML treatment?
Dr. Sangeetha Venugopal:
Most of our conferences have patient care advocacy groups being involved. We also do have many meetings, smaller group meetings. For example, I’m from the University of Miami, Florida, and we do have some of the smaller group meetings that engage our community partners to talk about these novel therapeutic advances.
That helps in engaging our community colleagues. Patients, from my standpoint, need to have self-advocacy because no one is more interested or invested in their healthcare than the patients. They want to have better outcomes, they want to have better therapies, and they want to achieve cure.