Dr. Cortes on Emerging Therapies in CML

Jorge E. Cortes, MD, director of the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, discusses emerging therapies in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Research efforts are underway to develop novel therapies for patients with CML, Cortes says. For example, several new TKIs are emerging in CML, including the STAMP inhibitor asciminib (ABL001), Cortes explains. A new drug application (NDA) seeking the approval of asciminib for the treatment of patients with CML received a priority review designation from the FDA on August 25, 2021. The NDA is supported by data from the phase 3 ASCEMBL trial (NCT03106779), in which asciminib demonstrated a 24-week major molecular response rate of 25.5% vs 13.2% with bosutinib (Bosulif) in patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive CML in chronic phase who received at least 2 prior TKIs.

Additionally, other novel agents, including the BCR-ABL TKIs vodobatinib (K0706), HQP1351, and PF-114, have demonstrated early efficacy signals in CML and are under further investigation in phase 2 studies, Cortes concludes.