Subcutaneous omacetaxine mepesuccinate in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia previously treated with 2 or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors including imatinib.

INTRODUCTION: Omacetaxine mepesuccinate (omacetaxine) is a first-in-class cephalotaxine that has demonstrated efficacy in CML. In this analysis we evaluated omacetaxine in CML patients with resistance or intolerance to 2 or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were pooled from 2 phase II trials of subcutaneous omacetaxine, administered at 1.25 mg/m(2) twice daily for 14 consecutive days every 28 days until response, then for 7 days every 28 days as maintenance. Patients with resistance or intolerance to imatinib and at least 1 other approved TKI (dasatinib and/or nilotinib) were included; results for patients in chronic phase (CP) are reported here. Major cytogenetic response (MCyR) was the primary end point.

RESULTS: Eighty-one patients with CML-CP (median age, 59 years; range, 26-83 years) were included in the analysis. All patients previously received imatinib, 69 (85%) previously received dasatinib, and 48 (59%) previously received nilotinib. Median omacetaxine exposure was 7.5 months (range, 0.03-38.6 months), with 13 patients ongoing. MCyR was reported in 16 patients (20%; one-sided 95% lower confidence limit, 12.8%), including 8 complete responses; median duration was 17.7 months (95% confidence interval, 4.1 months - not reached). Fifty-six patients (69%) achieved and/or maintained hematologic response for at least 8 weeks; median duration was 12.2 months (range, 8.4-26.2 months). Median failure-free and overall survival were 9.6 months and 34 months, respectively. Toxicity was mainly hematologic: the most common grade 3/4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (67%), neutropenia (47%), and anemia (37%).

CONCLUSION: Omacetaxine produced clinically meaningful responses with acceptable tolerability in patients with CML-CP previously treated with 2 or more TKIs.