The following is a summary of “Bridging to transplant and post-transplant maintenance therapy with FLT3 inhibitors in patients with relapsed or refractory FLT3 mutated acute myeloid leukemia,” published in the June 2023 issue of Hematology by Hirose, et al.

For a retrospective study, researchers sought to assess the safety and effectiveness of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) inhibitors in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with FLT3-mutation positive disease before and after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). A total of ten eligible patients were included in the analysis. Hematological remission rates, time to start maintenance therapy (MT), duration of MT, adverse events (AEs), and patient outcomes were evaluated.

Among the ten patients, eight achieved hematological remission during HCT, with a median duration of 79 days (range: 43–197). Following HCT, patients initiated MT after a median time of 79 days (range: 43–197), and the median duration of MT was 390 days (range: 67–815). Grade 3 hematological AEs were observed in two patients, while non-hematological AEs were reported in five patients. Nine patients required either dose reduction, discontinuation of therapy, or a switch to another FLT3 inhibitor due to AEs. One patient experienced a disease relapse during MT. Seven patients remained alive and disease-free at the last follow-up, while three died due to infection or transplant-related complications.

In relapsed/refractory FLT3-mutation positive AML, using FLT3 inhibitors demonstrated high response rates and served as a safe bridge from HCT to MT. With careful safety monitoring, even with reduced dosages, this therapy showed the potential to prevent disease relapse. Further research was warranted to optimize FLT3 inhibitor therapy and improve patient outcomes in this population.

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16078454.2023.2220518