Dr. Raoul Tibes Discusses FLT3 Inhibitors in AML

Raoul Tibes, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist at the University Hospital Head Myeloid Malignancies, Department of Internal Medicine II at the University Hospital in Würzburg & Adjunct Consultant at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, discusses the role of FLT3 inhibitions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

FLT3 is one of the most commonly mutated genes in AML. It occurs in roughly 20% to 30% of patients in mostly the diploid karyotype AML, said Tibes, but it also occasionally occurs in the relapsed/refractory setting as well.

There are currently first-, second-, and almost third-generation FLT3 inhibitors, which have all shown good results and clinical activity and validated FLT3 is a target in AML.

The RATIFY trial looked at the combination of FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin and chemotherapy in FLT3-ITD and TKD (tyrosine-kinase domain) positive patients.

Overall survival (OS) was significantly higher in patients who received midostaurin versus patients who received placebo added to chemotherapy (hazard ratio = 0.77 P=0.0074), with a 23% improvement in OS benefit.