Venclexta/Venclyxto Effective in Treating Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Data from multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Venclexta/Venclyxto in treating relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to Roche.

Venclexta/Venclyxto is a small molecule intended to bind and inhibit the BCL-2 protein, a protein that often resists therapies. Through blocking BCL-2, researchers intend for cancer cells to be signaled to self-destruct.

The studies included a high-risk population, however, safety profiles and high response rates received among CLL patients reached 79% with the utilization of Venclexta/Venclyxto. In addition to CLL treatment, data from phase Ib revealed the anti-cancer activity of Venclexta/Venclyxto in other blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, indicating the future potential of the drug.

“Confirmation that Venclexta/Venclyxto achieves a high response rate in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia in people with 17p deletion is very promising, as these patients have a particularly poor prognosis,” Sandra Horning, MD, Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development, said in a statement.

Roche and AbbVie, Venclexta/Venclyxto’s co-developer, plan to continue research within phase III clinical trials for CLL treatment, as well as developing new studies to research Venclexta/Venclyxto’s efficacy in the treating other blood cancers.

“We are also pleased to see early data highlighting the potential central role of BCL-2 in other difficult-to-treat blood cancers and look forward to validating these results in further studies,” concluded Horning.