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Acute myeloid leukemia transformed to a targetable disease

    Khalil Saleh

    Hematology–Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    ,
    Nadine Khalifeh-Saleh

    Hematology–Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    &
    Hampig Raphael Kourie

    *Author for correspondence:

    E-mail Address: hampig.kourie@hotmail.com

    Hematology–Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2019-0670

    Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous neoplasm characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of immature progenitors. It is the most common acute leukemia in adults and its incidence increases with age. The standard traditional treatment in fit patients was the ‘3 + 7’ regimen and cytarabine consolidation followed or not with allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Recently, several targeted therapies such as gemtuzumab ozogamicin targeting the CD33+ AML, midostaurin, gilteritinib and crenolanib inhibiting FLT3-positive AML and ivosidenib and enasidenib blocking IDH-mutated AML have been approved. These new drugs led to the change of the landscape of the treatment of AML and transforming this disease to a targetable one. We aimed in this paper to review the implications of each new target, the mechanisms of action of these new drugs and we discuss all the studies leading to the approval of these new drugs in their indications according to each target.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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