Combining Azacitidine/Enasidenib to Enhance the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed IDH2-Mutant AML

Courtney D. DiNardo, MD, MSCE, an assistant professor in the Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains the rationale for the phase II AG221-AML-005 trial.

For the older population of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the current standard of care in the United States is azacitidine (Vidaza). The drug can lead to a complete remission rate of about 20%, an overall response rate of about 30%, and overall survival of around 12 months, says DiNardo.

The IDH2 inhibitor enasidenib (Idhifa) has been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractoryIDH2-mutated AML, and it’s promising activity in this patient population raised the question of whether patients who were newly diagnosed withIDH2-mutant AML could derive benefit from enasidenib in combination with azacitidine.

For more on the AG221-AML-005 trial:https://www.targetedonc.com/news/enasidenib-plus-azacitidine-expands-treatment-landscape-for-idh2mutant-aml