gilteritinib
Regulatory sources consulted
Approved indications
- As monotherapy for adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with a confirmed FLT3 mutation.
Contraindications
Absolute
- Hypersensitivity to gilteritinib or its excipients.
Clinical warnings
- Boxed warning · BOXED WARNING: it can cause potentially fatal or life-threatening differentiation syndrome. For fever, dyspnea, rapid weight gain, edema, pulmonary infiltrates, effusions, hypotension, or renal dysfunction, start corticosteroids and hemodynamic monitoring immediately. — DailyMed, XOSPATA set_id b5ff59aa-9c0d-49a8-9053-1f179b482383
- Major warning · Monitor QTc and electrolytes: obtain ECG before starting, on Days 8 and 15 of Cycle 1, and before the next three months. Correct hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia. — CIMA/AEMPS, ficha técnica XOSPATA 40 mg, registro 1191399001
- Major warning · It can cause posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and pancreatitis. Permanently discontinue for PRES; withhold and reduce after pancreatitis. — CIMA/AEMPS, ficha técnica XOSPATA 40 mg, registro 1191399001
Drug interactions
- HighStrong CYP3A, P-gp, or BCRP inducers
Mechanism: They markedly reduce exposure and may decrease efficacy.
Recommendation: Avoid the combination, including St John’s wort.
CIMA/AEMPS, ficha técnica XOSPATA 40 mg, registro 1191399001https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/1191399001/FT_1191399001.html
- HighStrong CYP3A, P-gp, or BCRP inhibitors
Mechanism: They increase exposure and may increase toxicity.
Recommendation: Prefer alternatives; if unavoidable, closely monitor adverse reactions and QT prolongation.
CIMA/AEMPS, ficha técnica XOSPATA 40 mg, registro 1191399001https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/1191399001/FT_1191399001.html
- ModerateSerotonergic medicines targeting 5-HT2B or sigma receptors
Mechanism: Gilteritinib may reduce their effect, including that of some SSRIs.
Recommendation: Avoid the combination unless essential; monitor clinical response.
CIMA/AEMPS, ficha técnica XOSPATA 40 mg, registro 1191399001https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/1191399001/FT_1191399001.html
Adverse events
Common (≥1%)
increased ALT · increased AST · increased alkaline phosphatase · increased CPK · diarrhea · fatigue · nausea · constipation · cough · peripheral edema · dyspnea · dizziness
Rare but serious
posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome
Pregnancy and lactation
It can cause embryo-fetal harm. Verify pregnancy within 7 days before starting. Females must use effective contraception during treatment and for 6 months afterward; add a barrier method with hormonal contraception. Males must use contraception during treatment and for 4 months afterward. Do not breastfeed during treatment or for 2 months afterward.
Recent literature (PubMed)
Azacitidine plus venetoclax is a standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed AML who are unfit for intensive chemotherapy. However, FLT3 mutations are a common mechanism of resistance to this regimen. The addition of gilteritinib, an oral FLT3 inhibitor, to azacitidine and venetoclax may improve outcomes in patients with FLT3-mutated AML. This phase I/II study evaluated azacitidine, venetoclax, and gilteritinib in two cohorts: patients with (1) newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated AML who were unfit for intensive chemotherapy or (2) relapsed/refractory FLT3-mutated AML (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04140487). The primary end points were the maximum tolerated dose of gilteritinib (phase I) and the combined complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) rate (phase II). Fifty-two patients were enrolled (frontline [n = 30]; relapsed/refractory [n = 22]). The recommended phase II dose was gilteritinib 80 mg once daily in combination with azacitidine and venetoclax. In the frontline cohort, the median age was 71 years and 73% of patients had an FLT3-internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation. The CR/CRi rate was 96% (CR, 90%; CRi, 6%). Sixty-five percent of evaluable patients achieved FLT3-ITD measurable residual disease <5 × 10-5 within four cycles. With a median follow-up of 19.3 months, the median relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) have not been reached and the 18-month RFS and OS rates are 71% and 72%, respectively. In the relapsed/refractory cohort, the CR/CRi rate was 27%; nine additional patients (41%) achieved a morphologic leukemia-free state. The most common grade 3 or higher nonhematologic adverse events were infection (62%) and febrile neutropenia (38%), which were more frequent in the relapsed/refractory cohort. The combination of azacitidine, venetoclax, and gilteritinib resulted in high rates of CR/CRi, deep FLT3 molecular responses, and encouraging survival in newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated AML. Myelosuppression
The first 5 decades of research in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were dominated by the cytarabine plus anthracyclines backbone, with advances in strategies including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, high-dose cytarabine, supportive care measures, and targeted therapies for the subset of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Since 2017, a turning point in AML research, 12 agents have received regulatory approval for AML in the United States: venetoclax (BCL2 inhibitor); gemtuzumab ozogamicin (CD33 antibody-drug conjugate); midostaurin, gilteritinib, and quizartinib (fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibitors); ivosidenib, olutasidenib, and enasidenib (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 inhibitors); oral azacitidine (a partially absorbable formulation); CPX351 (liposomal encapsulation of cytarabine:daunorubicin at a molar ratio of 5:1); glasdegib (hedgehog inhibitor); and recently revumenib (menin inhibitor; approved November 2024). Oral decitabine-cedazuridine, which is approved as a bioequivalent alternative to parenteral hypomethylating agents in myelodysplastic syndrome, can be used for the same purpose in AML. Menin inhibitors, CD123 antibody-drug conjugates, and other antibodies targeting CD123, CD33, and other surface markers are showing promising results. Herein, the authors review the frontline and later line therapies in AML and discuss important research directions.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal hematopoietic cancer that disrupts normal hematopoiesis, ultimately leading to bone marrow failure and death. The annual incidence rate of AML is 4.1 per 100 000 people in the US and is higher in patients older than 65 years. Acute myeloid leukemia includes numerous subgroups with heterogeneous molecular profiles, treatment response, and prognosis. This review discusses the evidence supporting frontline therapies in AML, the major principles that guide therapy, and progress with molecularly targeted therapy. Acute myeloid leukemia is a genetically complex, dynamic disease. The most commonly altered genes include FLT3, NPM1, DNMT3A, IDH1, IDH2, TET2, RUNX1, NRAS, and TP53. The incidence of these alterations varies by patient age, history of antecedent hematologic cancer, and previous exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy for any cancer. Since 2010, molecular data have been incorporated into AML prognostication, gradually leading to incorporation of targeted therapies into the initial treatment approach of induction chemotherapy and subsequent management. The first molecularly targeted inhibitor, midostaurin, was approved to treat patients with AML with FLT3 variants in 2017. Since then, the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of AML has expanded, allowing the identification of additional potential targets for drug therapy, treatment incorporation of molecularly targeted therapies (midostaurin, gilteritinib, and quizartinib targeting FLT3 variants; ivosidenib and olutasidenib targeting IDH1 variants, and enasidenib targeting IDH2), and identification of rational combination regimens. The approval of hypomethylating agents combined with venetoclax has revolutionized the therapy of AML in older adults, extending survival over monotherapy. Additionally, patients are now referred for hematopoietic cell transplant on a more rational basis. In the era of genomic medicine, AML treatment is customized to the patient's co
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) improves outcomes for patients with AML harboring an internal tandem duplication mutation of FLT3 (FLT3-ITD) AML. These patients are routinely treated with a FLT3 inhibitor after HCT, but there is limited evidence to support this. Accordingly, we conducted a randomized trial of post-HCT maintenance with the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02997202) to determine if all such patients benefit or if detection of measurable residual disease (MRD) could identify those who might benefit. Adults with FLT3-ITD AML in first remission underwent HCT and were randomly assigned to placebo or 120 mg once daily gilteritinib for 24 months after HCT. The primary end point was relapse-free survival (RFS). Secondary end points included overall survival (OS) and the effect of MRD pre- and post-HCT on RFS and OS. Three hundred fifty-six participants were randomly assigned post-HCT to receive gilteritinib or placebo. Although RFS was higher in the gilteritinib arm, the difference was not statistically significant (hazard ratio [HR], 0.679 [95% CI, 0.459 to 1.005]; two-sided P = .0518). However, 50.5% of participants had MRD detectable pre- or post-HCT, and, in a prespecified subgroup analysis, gilteritinib was beneficial in this population (HR, 0.515 [95% CI, 0.316 to 0.838]; P = .0065). Those without detectable MRD showed no benefit (HR, 1.213 [95% CI, 0.616 to 2.387]; P = .575). Although the overall improvement in RFS was not statistically significant, RFS was higher for participants with detectable FLT3-ITD MRD pre- or post-HCT who received gilteritinib treatment. To our knowledge, these data are among the first to support the effectiveness of MRD-based post-HCT therapy.
The understanding of the molecular pathobiology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has spurred the identification of therapeutic targets and the development of corresponding novel targeted therapies. Since 2017, twelve agents have been approved for the treatment of AML subsets: the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax; the CD33 antibody drug conjugate gemtuzumab ozogamicin; three FLT3 inhibitors (midostaurin, gilteritinib, quizartinib); three IDH inhibitors (ivosidenib and olutasidenib targeting IDH1 mutations; enasidenib targeting IDH2 mutations); two oral hypomethylating agents (oral poorly absorbable azacitidine; fully absorbable decitabine-cedazuridine [latter approved as an alternative to parenteral hypomethylating agents in myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia but commonly used in AML]); and CPX-351 (encapsulated liposomal 5:1 molar ratio of cytarabine and daunorubicin), and glasdegib (hedgehog inhibitor). Other targeted therapies (menin inhibitors, CD123 antibody-drug conjugates) are showing promising results. To achieve optimal results in such a rare and heterogeneous entity as AML requires expertise, familiarity with this rare cancer, and the access to, and delivery of disparate therapies under rigorous supportive care conditions. In this review, we update the standard-of-care and investigational therapies and outline promising current and future research directions.