A new drug combination shows promise for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients resistant to standard therapies, offering hope for improved outcomes in this aggressive cancer.
Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) have made a significant breakthrough in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a particularly aggressive form of leukemia that affects over 20,000 Americans each year. Their findings suggest that a novel drug combination could help patients who do not respond to traditional therapies.
The study involved analyzing samples from more than 300 AML patients, revealing that pairing venetoclax—a drug commonly used to treat leukemia—with palbociclib, which is typically used for breast cancer, produced stronger and more durable leukemia-fighting effects than venetoclax alone.
Jeffrey Tyner, a professor of cell, developmental, and cancer biology at OHSU’s School of Medicine and the Knight Cancer Institute, emphasized the significance of the findings. “The data show that this drug regimen may be especially effective in patients whose tumors exhibit features that cause resistance to the current standard of care, frontline therapies,” he stated.
The research team initially explored a wide range of drug combinations without any predetermined favorites. Among all the pairings tested, including existing standard-of-care regimens, the combination of venetoclax and palbociclib emerged as the most promising.
Melissa Stewart, a research assistant professor at OHSU and the lead author of the study, noted, “That really motivated us to dig deeper into why it works so well—and why it appears to overcome resistance seen with current therapy.” The study revealed that AML cells exposed solely to venetoclax could adapt by increasing protein production, allowing them to survive. However, the addition of palbociclib blocked this adaptation, significantly impeding the cancer cells’ ability to thrive.
In preclinical models, the results were striking. While venetoclax alone did not extend survival, the combination treatment resulted in the majority of mice living for 11 to 12 months, with one mouse still alive at the conclusion of the study.
Tyner explained that the study sheds light on the biological mechanisms behind the improved outcomes associated with this new drug combination, paving the way for future clinical trials involving real patients. “Unfortunately, almost everyone will eventually have drug resistance,” he remarked, highlighting the ongoing challenges in treating AML.
Despite the promising initial response rates and improved quality of life reported with the current drug regimen, the five-year survival rate for AML remains low, estimated at only 25% to 40%. “We have a lot of work to do,” Tyner added.
While the data strongly suggest that this new drug combination should be tested in clinical trials, the research team acknowledges that they currently lack data on its clinical activity in AML patients, aside from some anecdotal reports. “So, the biggest limitation is also our desired next step—of testing this new drug combination in clinical trials,” Tyner concluded.
As the medical community continues to seek innovative solutions for AML, this research offers a glimmer of hope for patients facing treatment-resistant forms of the disease.
For further details, refer to the original report from Fox News Digital.