Venetoclax Use in Paediatric Haemato-Oncology Centres in Poland: A 2022 Survey

Abstract

Venetoclax, the best established BH3-mimetic, is a practice-changing proapoptotic drug in blood cancers in adults. In paediatrics the data are fewer but exciting results were recently presented in relapsed or refractory leukaemias demonstrating significant clinical activity. Importantly, the in-terventions could be potentially molecularly guided as vulnerabilities to BH3-mimetics were re-ported. Currently venetoclax is not incorporated into paediatric treatment schedules in Poland but it has been already used in patients that failed conventional therapy in Polish paediatric haemato-oncology departments. The aim of the study was to gather clinical data and correlates of all paediatric patients treated so far with venetoclax in Poland. We set out to gather this experience to help choose the right clinical context for the drug and stimulate further research. The questionnaire regarding the use of venetoclax was sent to all 18 Polish paediatric haemato-oncology centres. The data as available in November 2022 were gathered and analysed for the diagnoses, triggers for the intervention, treatment schedules, outcomes and molecular associations. We received response from 11 centres, 5 of which administered venetoclax to their patients. Clinical benefit, in most cases consistent with hematologic complete remission (CR), was reported in 5 patients out of ten, whereas 5 patient did not show clinical benefit from the intervention. Importantly, patients with CR included subtypes expected to show venetoclax vulnerability, such as poor-prognosis ALL with TCF::HLF fusion. We believe BH3-mimetics have clinical activity in children and should be available to pae-diatric haemato-oncology practitioners in well-selected applications.