Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Acute Myeloid Leukemia, including details on aml, symptoms, treatment, information.

Safety and efficacy of gemtuzumab ozogamicin in pediatric patients with advanced CD33+ acute myeloid leukemia.

Arceci RJ, Sande J, Lange B, Shannon K, Franklin J, Hutchinson R, Vik TA, Flowers D, Aplenc R, Berger MS, Sherman ML, Smith FO, Bernstein I, Sievers EL

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 2M51, Bunting-Blaustein Cancer Research Bldg, 1650 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. arcecro@jhmi.edu

This open-label, dose-escalation study evaluated the safety and efficacy of single-agent gemtuzumab ozogamicin, a humanized anti-CD33 antibody-targeted chemotherapeutic agent, for pediatric patients with multiple relapsed or primary refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Twenty-nine children 1 to 16 years of age (relapsed disease, 19; refractory disease, 10) received gemtuzumab ozogamicin ranging from 6 to 9 mg/m2 per dose for 2 doses (separated by 2 weeks) infused over 2 hours. All patients had anticipated myelosuppression. Other toxicities included grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia (7%) and elevated hepatic transaminase levels (21%); the incidence of grade 3/4 mucositis (3%) or sepsis (24%) was relatively low. One patient treated at 9 mg/m2 developed veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver and defined the dose-limiting toxicity. Thirteen patients underwent hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation less than 3.5 months after the last dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin; 6 (40%) developed VOD. Eight of 29 (28%) patients achieved overall remission. Remissions were comparable in patients with refractory (30%) and relapsed (26%) disease. Mean multidrug resistance-protein-mediated drug efflux was significantly lower in the leukemic blasts of patients achieving remission (P < .005). Gemtuzumab ozogamicin was relatively well tolerated at 6 mg/m2 for 2 doses and was equally effective in patients with refractory and relapsed disease. Further studies in combination with standard induction therapy for childhood AML are warranted.

Published 4 August 2005 in Blood, 106(4): 1183-8.
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