What is The Treatment For Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients After Relapse: Gilteritinib And FLT3 Inhibitors
SHARE

Fact Checked

SurvivorNet Fact Checking and Medical Review Standards:  

The SurvivorNet News Team creates high quality medical information that complies with our industry leading standards for factual accuracy and sourcing from leading experts at academic medical institutions. Every news article is thoroughly fact-checked by our physician collaborators. We vet each piece of work for factual integrity, impartiality, and clearly label any professional conflicts.

All SurvivorNet articles adhere to the following standards:

  1. All studies and research papers cited are from reputable academic medical institutions or peer-reviewed journals.
  2. When we use data, statistics, or quotes these references link to the original source.
  3. All content related to new treatments, drugs, procedures, and so on must clearly describe availability, side effects, treatment target (such as triple negative breast cancer)
  4. All medical information on SurvivorNet is sourced from respected medical professionals with verified medical credentials and links are provided to these sources.
  5. We strive to give the reader relevant background information and include, clearly-sourced contextual health information in all articles. Readers are clearly alerted to any conflicts of interest from a medical source or the authors of a cited study.
/ Updated April 11th, 2022

What is The Treatment For Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients After Relapse: Gilteritinib And FLT3 Inhibitors

Medical Source: Dr. Raoul Tibes
NYU Langone Health
×

FLT3 Inhibitors And Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Relapse

  • Gilteritinib is a FLT3 Inhibitor that can fight genes powering leukemia cells
  • FLT3 Inhibitors are oral treatments given to AML patients whose disease has returned and have already gone through initial treatments
  • Checking for the FLT3 gene is routinely done for AML patients
For people whose acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has returned, Dr. Raoul Tibes, formerly the Director of the Clinical Leukemia Program at NYU Langone, tells SurvivorNet that new medications and more treatment options are emerging representing exciting progress in cancer research and care.

According to experts, patients with relapsed AML should be tested for mutations in a leukemia gene called FLT3, which powers leukemia cell growth. Luckily, Dr. Tibes says a new drug, Gilteritinib, which is a FLT3 Inhibitor, was approved for patients with relapsed and refractory AML that will fight that gene.

Read More
“Over the past few years and decades scientists were able to develop FLT3 Inhibitors, which means they take out and shut down the activity of this FLT3 gene which is constantly driving leukemia cell growth,” Dr. Tibes says.

With the approval of Gilteritinib, patients with AML relapses who have gone through previous treatments such as chemotherapy or stem cell transplant will have more options.

“We check for the FLT3 gene. It’s in all the guidelines and we do it routinely on all our patients,” Dr. Tibes says. “If we find this gene is mutated, now we have an oral drug available that we can give to our patients who we see have very good response rates and gives them another option.”

Medication Advancements For Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients

In addition to FLT3 Inhibitors, there has been a wave of new approved drugs targeted for AML patients which includes IDH1 and IDH2 Inhibitors. This medication helps red and white blood cells mature faster, and seeing as leukemia is caused by immature blood cells, this is a huge step in AML patient care. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this medication can have a unique side effect Differentiation Syndrome. For some patients, IDH Inhibitors can cause too many cells to grow at the same time, so physicians should monitor patients taking IDH Inhibitors closely.

Dr. Tibes encourages AML patients to consider combination drug therapy. In a separate interview with Survivornet, he explains Ventecolax, a BCL2 Inhibitor, which may stop the BCL2 protein from helping leukemia cells evade chemotherapy. Dr. Tibes suggests taking Ventecolax alongside other AML medication such as Decitabine or Azacitidine.

“If I am a leukemia patient today, or my brother which I rarely say I would ask for that combination,” Dr. Tibes says.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Dr. Raoul Tibes is formerly the Director of the Clinical Leukemia Program at NYU Langone Health's Perlmutter Cancer Center. Read More

AML Relapse

Relapse is part of the journey for many patients with acute myeloid leukemia. The timing of the relapse plays a big role in which treatment route your doctor will advise.

NOW
PLAYING
For AML Relapse: The Role of IDH-Inhibitor Drugs To Achieve Remission For Stem-Cell Transplant
NOW
PLAYING
Symptoms of Relapse in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
NOW
PLAYING
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): Treatment Options After Relapse
NOW
PLAYING
What Are The Options For Patients When Acute Myeloid Leukemia Returns?

Related Articles

Treatment

VA Care Insights: Sexual Function Recovery After Prostate Cancer Surgery

Later Stage

Getting Treated for Castration-Sensitive or Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer – The VA Has Plenty of Options

The Unique Benefits of JAK Inhibitors Are Helping Patients With Myelofibrosis Live Longer With Fewer Side Effects

Remembering Actress Suzanne Somers, Who Battled Breast Cancer, As ‘Step By Step’ Cast Reunion Coming Soon: ‘You Made Quite a Ripple My Friend Thank You’

×

Introducing, the Journey Bar

Use this bar to access information about the steps in your cancer journey.