Future Directions in Chronic Phase CML Treatment

This review will focus on recent and emerging treatment paradigms in chronic phase CML. The discussion of each novel treatment or drug combination will include a brief overview of scientific rational and pre-clinical data, followed by recently published or ongoing clinical trial efforts. The review will be divided into three focus areas in CML treatment: new frontline approaches and approaches to deepen remission, second treatment-free remission studies, and the treatment of refractory disease.

The section on new frontline approaches will highlight several strategies of combination therapy. These can be grouped into immunomodulatory approaches with interferons and immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeting of leukemia stem cells with compounds such as venetoclax and pioglitazone, and BCR-ABL1-intrinsic combination therapy with asciminib. The chance at a second treatment-free remission is an important emerging clinical trial concept, and again combination approaches are under investigation. Lastly, in advanced disease, the development of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors remains a major focus. This review will provide an overview and perspective of treatment strategies on the horizon for chronic phase CML. Despite the already excellent clinical outcomes for most patients, challenges remain with regard to deepening initial responses, prolonging treatment-free remission, and providing efficacious and tolerable options for patients with refractory disease and resistance mutations.