The continuing search for effective treatments for older adults with acute myeloid leukemia

The goal of treatment in older patients (≥60 years) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has recently switched from only improving quality of life to achieving long-term survival via prolonged therapy. Novel therapeutic drugs have indeed recently been approved and tested in combination therapy. In this setting, the combination of venetoclax with a hypomethylating agent (HMA) has emerged as a new standard of care in this patient population.

This review summarizes promising emerging strategies combining target-directed agents for the treatment of older patients with AML. A comprehensive search was made on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, ashpublications.org, library.ehaweb.org, and clinicaltrials.gov to look for efficacy and safety of emerging therapeutic agents.

Over the last 5 years, the landscape of AML therapy in older patients with AML has moved from uniform approaches toward more personalized therapy based on molecularly defined subtypes that benefit from target-directed therapy. Favorable results obtained with the synergistic combination venetoclax/HMA are currently opening a new active treatment research era by adding other specific drugs to this backbone regimen.