Dr. Jones on Studying Venetoclax in R/R CLL

Jeffrey Jones, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, The Ohio State University, discuss the interest in studying venetoclax (Venclexta) in a phase II study for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The interest in venetoclax, according to Jones, was that it is a non-chemotherapeutic option. Retrospective data suggests that older drugs, such as chemotherapy and single-agent monoclonal antibodies, achieve suboptimal responses with overall response rates no higher than 30% in patients progressing after 1 or 2 kinase inhibitors.

Looking for drugs that have a novel mechanism of action and a favorable safety profile is what generated interest in general. Venetoclax has a distinct mechanism of action, a favorable safety profile, and effective single-agent efficacy, which makes it a beneficial option among drugs, Jones states.