Clinical Research Directory

Fludarabine Plus Melphalan Versus Addition of Venetoclax to Fludarabine/Melphalan Conditioning Regimen for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in AML/MDS Patients Aged > 50 Years: a Multicenter, Randomized, Phase 3 Trial

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (Allo-HCT) serves as a curative treatment modality for the vast majority of patients with hematological malignancies. Historically, due to the relatively high treatment-related mortality rate associated with Allo-HCT, this therapy was primarily administered to younger patients. However, the median age at onset of most hematological malignancies falls within the elderly population. For instance, the median ages at onset of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) are 68 and 77 years, respectively. In recent years, with the advancement of transplantation techniques and the application of Reduced-intensity Conditioning (RIC) regimens, a growing number of elderly patients have undergone Allo-HCT. Data from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) indicate that in 2017, 31% of patients who received Allo-HCT were aged over 60 years, and 6% were over 70 years old. Over the past decade, the number of elderly patients undergoing Allo-HCT has increased significantly. Given that most elderly patients cannot tolerate conventional myeloablative conditioning regimens, RIC regimens based on Fludarabine (Flu) combined with Busulfan (Bu), or Fludarabine (Flu) combined with Melphalan (Mel) are currently widely used in elderly patients undergoing Allo-HCT. Nevertheless, the post-transplant relapse rate remains as high as 30%-55%, and the long-term GVHD-free and Relapse-free Survival (GRFS) rate fluctuates between 21% and 59%, suggesting that the efficacy of transplantation needs to be further improved. Further comparison of the commonly used RIC regimens in elderly patients-namely Flu+Bu (2-day), Flu+Bu (4-day) and Flu+Mel-has demonstrated that the Flu+Mel regimen yields superior transplantation outcomes over the Flu+Bu regimens. At present, the optimal RIC regimen for elderly patients with hematological malignancies has not yet been clearly defined. The selection of transplantation conditioning regimens for elderly patients should strike a balance between reducing non-relapse mortality and decreasing post-transplant relapse. Over the past 20 years, an increasing number of targeted drugs acting on specific cellular signaling pathways, anti-apoptotic proteins, epigenetic regulators, and monoclonal antibodies have been introduced into clinical practice, thereby revolutionizing the treatment landscape of hematological malignancies. These novel targeted therapies not only bring hope of achieving remission to patients with hematological tumors resistant to traditional chemotherapy, but also the combined application of novel drugs and Allo-HCT is bound to fundamentally transform the overall technical system of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Venetoclax is a potent and selective oral inhibitor targeting the BH3 domain of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. In 2018, the FDA approved Venetoclax as a first-line induction chemotherapy agent for elderly AML patient's ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, with a complete remission rate of up to 67% and favorable tolerability¹¹. Preclinical studies using Allo-HCT animal models have confirmed that the addition of a Bcl-2 inhibitor to RIC regimens can promote donor cell engraftment, reduce the incidence of GVHD, without impairing the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect¹². In recent years, clinical trials have reported the efficacy and safety of the conditioning regimen combining Venetoclax with Flu+Bu in patients with myeloid malignancies undergoing Allo-HCT. Our research center has demonstrated the favorable safety profile and promising long-term survival outcomes of the Venetoclax plus Flu+Mel conditioning regimen in a phase II clinical trial involving patients aged over 50 years with AML/MDS undergoing Allo-HCT (2024 EBMT Poster B093; 2025 EBMT Poster B126). However, the long-term superiority of this novel regimen over the conventional Flu+Mel conditioning regimen remains to be clarified. Therefore, based on the existing findings from clinical studies and Allo-HCT animal model research, we hypothesize that incorporating Venetoclax into the Fludarabine+Melphalan conditioning regimen for elderly patients undergoing Allo-HCT is expected to improve long-term post-transplant survival and further enhance the transplantation efficacy in this patient population.

Venetoclax Combined With Azacitidine for Consolidation Therapy in AML

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the efficacy and safety of a venetoclax-based consolidation therapy versus conventional consolidation chemotherapy in newly diagnosed adult patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have achieved complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) after induction therapy with venetoclax and azacitidine and are planned for transplantation. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does consolidation therapy with a venetoclax-containing regimen lead to superior clinical outcomes compared to conventional chemotherapy in this specific patient population? What is the comparative safety profile of the venetoclax-containing consolidation regimen versus conventional chemotherapy in these patients? Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the venetoclax-based consolidation therapy or the conventional consolidation chemotherapy before undergoing transplantation.

The Maintenance Treatment of "ITIVA" in AML Patients

We apply for this clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of "combined recombinant human interference'- α- 1b, interleukin-2, and thalidomide" regimen in obtaining MRD positive AML patients in CR,as well as the efficacy of the "Venentoclax and azacitidine" regimen and the "combined recombinant human interference'- α- 1b, interleukin-2, and thalidomide" regimen in alternately maintaining the treatment of MRD negative AML patients. The study included two cohorts. The first cohort consisted of AML patients who obtained CR or CRi but MRD positive after induction chemotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy. They were randomly given two cycles of "recombinant human interference'- α- 1b, interleukin-2, and thalidomide" or "VA" regimen treatment, and the MRD conversion rates of the two groups were analyzed. In the second cohort , after induction chemotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy, AML patients with CR or CRi and negative MRD were obtained, and were given "recombinant human interference'- α- 1b, interleukin-2, and thalidomide", Venentoclax and Azacitidine triple alternative maintenance treatment, to analyze the impact of maintenance treatment scheme on long-term survival of aml patients.