BCL-2 inhibitorFDA-approvedSecond-line
Venetoclax
How it works
Blocks the BCL-2 protein, which is involved in cell survival and cancer growth, allowing for programmed cell death.
Cancer types
Leukemia— All patients
Efficacy
In clinical trials, around 80% of CLL patients with 17p deletion achieved an objective response, with a median progression-free survival of approximately 14 months.
Side effects
Severe
This treatment carries a higher risk of serious side effects. Close medical monitoring is required throughout treatment.
Evidence from research
| Study | Cancer type | Stage | Efficacy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zanubrutinib, Obinutuzumab, and Venetoclax for CLL or SLL | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Continuing Study of Venetoclax for Various Blood Cancers | Leukemia | phase-3 | — | Source → |
| Study of CLL Treatment Combination | Leukemia | phase-3 | — | Source → |
| Testing a Combination of Anti-Cancer Drugs for Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| Testing a New Treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| Testing a New Chemotherapy Drug Combination in Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| Customizing Ibrutinib Treatment for Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Testing Venetoclax and HMA Treatment for Older Adults with FLT3 Mutated AML | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Dasatinib Monotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| New Treatment Combination for Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Testing a New Combination Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| Testing Ivosidenib and Venetoclax for IDH1 Mutated Hematologic Malignancies | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| Testing Venetoclax in High-Risk Blood Cancers | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| New Combination Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-1 | — | Source → |
| Outcomes after Menin Inhibitors Fail in Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | observational | The complete response (CR)/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) rate for nontrial therapies was 19% (n = 7); overall response rate was 32% (n = 12). | Source → |
| Testing Venetoclax and ASTX727 for Leukemia and Blood Disorders | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| New Cancer Treatment Combination Shows Promise Against Leukemia | Leukemia | lab-study | The triple CAV combination exerted a far stronger inhibitory effect than any single agent or dual-drug combination (p < 0.01) and showed synergistic interactions (combination index <1). | Source → |
| Testing Venetoclax for Relapsed Hairy Cell Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Combination Therapy Improves Outcomes in Certain Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | meta-analysis | The DEC + VEN cohort had a lower early mortality rate than the DEC cohort (30-day mortality: 2.7%-5% vs. 9.7%, p = 0.01; RR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.97 versus RR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.92-1.02). | Source → |
| Testing New Treatments for Young Adults with Intermediate Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Venetoclax levels linked to AML treatment outcomes | Leukemia | lab-study | Patients with trough levels below 1857.3 ng/mL had lower rates of hematologic toxicity during the first treatment cycle (92.9% vs. 100%, P = 0.041). | Source → |
| Targeted Delivery of Cancer Drug in Leukemia Cells | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Combining Venetoclax with HEA Regimen Shows Promise for AML Patients | Leukemia | phase-2 | The total CR rate of VHEA regimen in 6 patients with gene rearrangement AML was 83.3% (5/6). | Source → |
| Venetoclax Exposure Linked to Better Outcomes in Chinese Pediatric Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | observational | Exposure-response analyses demonstrated a consistent positive association between higher VEN exposure and MRD negativity. | Source → |
| BCL2 Proteins May Predict Resistance to Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Monitoring Drug Levels in Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| New Therapy for Leukemia Relapse | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| New Cancer Treatment Regimens Compared for Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-3 | — | Source → |
| Combination Therapies for Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | review | — | Source → |
| Combining Two Drugs May Help Treat Leukemia | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Venetoclax Efficacy and Safety in Real-World AML Patients | Leukemia | observational | Median overall survival for the entire cohort was 17.8 months, with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 51% and 36.4%, respectively. | Source → |
| New Compound May Improve Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab Combination Shows Promise in Untreated Japanese CLL and SLL Patients | Leukemia | phase-2 | The IRC-assessed CR/CRi rate based on the best overall response was 90.0% (95% confidence interval 55.5%, 99.7%). | Source → |
| Real-world outcomes of venetoclax and azacitidine in Japanese patients with AML | Leukemia | observational | The rate of complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete blood count recovery was 56.7% in VEN + AZA-treated patients. | Source → |
| Plant Compounds May Help Overcome Leukemia Resistance | Leukemia | review | — | Source → |
| Combination Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Leukaemia | Leukemia | phase-1/2 | The overall response rate was 62% (95% CI 41-80; 16 of 26) in patients with AML. | Source → |
| Venetoclax Plus Low-Intensity Therapy May Help Some AML Patients | Leukemia | phase-3 | The overall remission rate was 78.7% vs. 60.0%, and complete remission rate was 48.0% vs. 21.3%. | Source → |
| Researchers Create Resistant Leukemia Cells to Study Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Venetoclax Combination Therapy for Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| New Treatment Approach for Young Adults with Leukaemia | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| New Study Compares Effectiveness of Two Leukemia Treatments | Leukemia | phase-3 | Treatment with OLU versus IVO was associated with significantly higher rates of complete response (RD: 0.25; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.49), transfusion independence (RD: 0.27; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.53), and OS (HR: 0.33; 95%CI: 0.11, 0.94). | Source → |
| Researchers Map How Leukemia Cells Evade Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Venetoclax Sensitivity and Resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| New Treatment Option for Cancer Patients Who Failed Previous Therapy | Leukemia | phase-2 | Among the 10 patients, 1 achieved complete remission, 2 achieved CR with incomplete hematologic recovery, 1 achieved partial remission, and 2 had no remission, with 2 patients with MDS achieving marrow CR. | Source → |
| New CLL Treatment Combination Shows Promise | Leukemia | phase-3 | These findings support fixed-duration regimens as a paradigm shift, optimizing efficacy, safety, and patient convenience in frontline CLL therapy. | Source → |
| New Treatment Combination Shows Promise for Rare Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Venetoclax Efficacy and Safety in CLL Patients | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| New Treatment Options for Patients with Unfit Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | review | — | Source → |
| New Treatment Options for High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | review | — | Source → |
This information is provided for general education only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making treatment decisions.