Overall, relapse-free survival prolonged among older patients in first remission after chemo who receive CC-486 versus placebo<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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TUESDAY, Dec. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are in remission after chemotherapy, those receiving maintenance therapy with the oral formulation of azacitidine (CC-486) versus placebo had longer overall and relapse-free survival, according to a study published in the Dec. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n Andrew H. Wei, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues conducted a phase 3 randomized trial of CC-486 as maintenance therapy for patients with AML in first remission after intensive chemotherapy. A total of 472 patients aged 55 years and older who were in complete remission and were not candidates for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were randomly assigned to receive either CC-486 or placebo once daily for 14 days per 28-day cycle (238 and 234 patients, respectively).<\/p>\n The researchers observed significantly longer median overall survival from the time of randomization with CC-486 versus placebo (24.7 versus 14.8 months). The corresponding median relapse-free survival was also significantly longer (10.2 versus 4.8 months). In most subgroups defined according to baseline characteristics, similar benefits of CC-486 were seen with respect to overall and relapse-free survival. During CC-486 treatment, overall health-related quality of life was preserved.<\/p>\n “Despite demonstrable survival advantages with CC-486 maintenance therapy, the risk of eventual relapse and death from AML remains problematic,” the authors write. “Whether CC-486 may benefit patients with AML when it is used in other clinical contexts requires further investigation.”<\/p>\n The study was funded by Celgene (a wholly owned subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb), which manufactures azacitidine.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n