Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study

Abstract Background High-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) remain therapeutic challenges with suboptimal outcomes. The only potentially curative treatment is allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). The most frequent pre-allo-SCT treatment is...

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Main Authors: Ines Zugasti, Monica Lopez-Guerra, Sandra Castaño-Díez, Daniel Esteban, Alejandro Avendaño, Helena Pomares, Ana Perez, Sara García-Ávila, Irene Padilla Conejo, Cristina de la Fuente Montes, Alexandra Martínez-Roca, Beatriz Merchán, Carlos Jiménez-Vicente, Francesca Guijarro, Jose Ramón Álamo, Albert Cortes-Bullich, Victor Torrecillas, Lucia Mont, Esther Carcelero, Gisela Riu, Lurdes Zamora, Joan Bargay, Ana Triguero, Maria Suarez-Lledó, Maria Queralt Salas, Felix López-Cadenas, Fernando Ramos, Blanca Xicoy, David Valcárcel, Montserrat Arnan, Carmen Martínez, Montserrat Rovira, Francesc Fernández-Avilés, Maria Díez-Campelo, Jordi Esteve, Marina Díaz-Beyá
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:Experimental Hematology & Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00652-5
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author Ines Zugasti
Monica Lopez-Guerra
Sandra Castaño-Díez
Daniel Esteban
Alejandro Avendaño
Helena Pomares
Ana Perez
Sara García-Ávila
Irene Padilla Conejo
Cristina de la Fuente Montes
Alexandra Martínez-Roca
Beatriz Merchán
Carlos Jiménez-Vicente
Francesca Guijarro
Jose Ramón Álamo
Albert Cortes-Bullich
Victor Torrecillas
Lucia Mont
Esther Carcelero
Gisela Riu
Lurdes Zamora
Joan Bargay
Ana Triguero
Maria Suarez-Lledó
Maria Queralt Salas
Felix López-Cadenas
Fernando Ramos
Blanca Xicoy
David Valcárcel
Montserrat Arnan
Carmen Martínez
Montserrat Rovira
Francesc Fernández-Avilés
Maria Díez-Campelo
Jordi Esteve
Marina Díaz-Beyá
author_facet Ines Zugasti
Monica Lopez-Guerra
Sandra Castaño-Díez
Daniel Esteban
Alejandro Avendaño
Helena Pomares
Ana Perez
Sara García-Ávila
Irene Padilla Conejo
Cristina de la Fuente Montes
Alexandra Martínez-Roca
Beatriz Merchán
Carlos Jiménez-Vicente
Francesca Guijarro
Jose Ramón Álamo
Albert Cortes-Bullich
Victor Torrecillas
Lucia Mont
Esther Carcelero
Gisela Riu
Lurdes Zamora
Joan Bargay
Ana Triguero
Maria Suarez-Lledó
Maria Queralt Salas
Felix López-Cadenas
Fernando Ramos
Blanca Xicoy
David Valcárcel
Montserrat Arnan
Carmen Martínez
Montserrat Rovira
Francesc Fernández-Avilés
Maria Díez-Campelo
Jordi Esteve
Marina Díaz-Beyá
author_sort Ines Zugasti
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background High-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) remain therapeutic challenges with suboptimal outcomes. The only potentially curative treatment is allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). The most frequent pre-allo-SCT treatment is monotherapy with hypomethylating agents (HMA), but approximately 40% of patients cannot proceed to allo-SCT, mainly due to disease progression. Recent evidence suggests that combining HMA with venetoclax (HMA/VEN) could increase HMA efficacy in HR-MDS but it remains unclear if this combination could bridge more patients to allo-SCT. Methods We retrospectively evaluated HMA/VEN as a bridge to allo-SCT in 30 patients with HR-MDS or CMML eligible for transplant. Eighteen patients were treatment-naïve and 12 were refractory or relapsed (R/R). Results As defined by the IWG 2023 criteria, the overall response rate (ORR) was 90% and the composite complete response rate was 77%. For the R/R patients, ORR was 83%. The allo-SCT rate was 83%, and the allo-SCT rate of those patients treated exclusively with HMA/VEN without further bridge therapies was 76%. One- and two-year post-allo-SCT survival was 75% and two-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 30.5%. Follow-up of measurable residual disease identified some molecular relapses that were controlled with preemptive treatment. Conclusions Our findings indicate that HMA/VEN combination therapy shows promise as a bridging strategy to allo-SCT in HR-MDS and CMML.
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spelling doaj-art-13fddf8f6f134dacbb9a3201bb4d35b32025-08-20T02:30:22ZengBMCExperimental Hematology & Oncology2162-36192025-04-0114111510.1186/s40164-025-00652-5Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD studyInes Zugasti0Monica Lopez-Guerra1Sandra Castaño-Díez2Daniel Esteban3Alejandro Avendaño4Helena Pomares5Ana Perez6Sara García-Ávila7Irene Padilla Conejo8Cristina de la Fuente Montes9Alexandra Martínez-Roca10Beatriz Merchán11Carlos Jiménez-Vicente12Francesca Guijarro13Jose Ramón Álamo14Albert Cortes-Bullich15Victor Torrecillas16Lucia Mont17Esther Carcelero18Gisela Riu19Lurdes Zamora20Joan Bargay21Ana Triguero22Maria Suarez-Lledó23Maria Queralt Salas24Felix López-Cadenas25Fernando Ramos26Blanca Xicoy27David Valcárcel28Montserrat Arnan29Carmen Martínez30Montserrat Rovira31Francesc Fernández-Avilés32Maria Díez-Campelo33Jordi Esteve34Marina Díaz-Beyá35Hospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Universitario de SalamancaInstitut Català d’Oncologia, Hospital Duran I ReynalsHospital Universitario Vall d´HebrónHospital del MarHospital Universitario de LeónInstitut Català d’Oncologia (ICO), Hospital Germans Trias I PujolHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaUniversitat de BarcelonaUniversitat de BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaInstitut Català d’Oncologia (ICO), Hospital Germans Trias I PujolHospital Son LlátzerHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital del MarHospital Universitario de LeónInstitut Català d’Oncologia (ICO), Hospital Germans Trias I PujolHospital Universitario Vall d´HebrónInstitut Català d’Oncologia, Hospital Duran I ReynalsHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Universitario de SalamancaHospital Clínic BarcelonaHospital Clínic BarcelonaAbstract Background High-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) remain therapeutic challenges with suboptimal outcomes. The only potentially curative treatment is allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). The most frequent pre-allo-SCT treatment is monotherapy with hypomethylating agents (HMA), but approximately 40% of patients cannot proceed to allo-SCT, mainly due to disease progression. Recent evidence suggests that combining HMA with venetoclax (HMA/VEN) could increase HMA efficacy in HR-MDS but it remains unclear if this combination could bridge more patients to allo-SCT. Methods We retrospectively evaluated HMA/VEN as a bridge to allo-SCT in 30 patients with HR-MDS or CMML eligible for transplant. Eighteen patients were treatment-naïve and 12 were refractory or relapsed (R/R). Results As defined by the IWG 2023 criteria, the overall response rate (ORR) was 90% and the composite complete response rate was 77%. For the R/R patients, ORR was 83%. The allo-SCT rate was 83%, and the allo-SCT rate of those patients treated exclusively with HMA/VEN without further bridge therapies was 76%. One- and two-year post-allo-SCT survival was 75% and two-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 30.5%. Follow-up of measurable residual disease identified some molecular relapses that were controlled with preemptive treatment. Conclusions Our findings indicate that HMA/VEN combination therapy shows promise as a bridging strategy to allo-SCT in HR-MDS and CMML.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00652-5MDSCMMLMDS/MPNAllo-SCTBridge therapyCytoreductive therapy
spellingShingle Ines Zugasti
Monica Lopez-Guerra
Sandra Castaño-Díez
Daniel Esteban
Alejandro Avendaño
Helena Pomares
Ana Perez
Sara García-Ávila
Irene Padilla Conejo
Cristina de la Fuente Montes
Alexandra Martínez-Roca
Beatriz Merchán
Carlos Jiménez-Vicente
Francesca Guijarro
Jose Ramón Álamo
Albert Cortes-Bullich
Victor Torrecillas
Lucia Mont
Esther Carcelero
Gisela Riu
Lurdes Zamora
Joan Bargay
Ana Triguero
Maria Suarez-Lledó
Maria Queralt Salas
Felix López-Cadenas
Fernando Ramos
Blanca Xicoy
David Valcárcel
Montserrat Arnan
Carmen Martínez
Montserrat Rovira
Francesc Fernández-Avilés
Maria Díez-Campelo
Jordi Esteve
Marina Díaz-Beyá
Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study
Experimental Hematology & Oncology
MDS
CMML
MDS/MPN
Allo-SCT
Bridge therapy
Cytoreductive therapy
title Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study
title_full Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study
title_fullStr Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study
title_full_unstemmed Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study
title_short Hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high-risk MDS and CMML as bridge therapy to transplant: a GESMD study
title_sort hypomethylating agents plus venetoclax for high risk mds and cmml as bridge therapy to transplant a gesmd study
topic MDS
CMML
MDS/MPN
Allo-SCT
Bridge therapy
Cytoreductive therapy
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00652-5
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