“My laboratory, almost ten years ago, discovered that this drug, Ventecolax, may enhance the activity against leukemia cells,” says Dr. Raoul Tibes, Director, Clinical Leukemia Program, NYU Langone Health. “It’s a BCL2 inhibitor.”
The reason? Ventecolax, he explains, inhibits a specific protein within the cells (known as BCL2) that works to protect leukemia cells.
“BCL2 are proteins inside the cells that help the leukemia cells to evade chemotherapy. So they are protecting leukemia cells,” he explains. “If you have a BCL2 inhibitor, now that inhibits — or takes out– the activity of those proteins inside leukemia cells.” Once the BCL2 proteins are disabled, the leukemia cells die more easily, he says.
“The goal,” says Dr. Tibes, “is to disable the BCL2 protein, so it can no longer protect the leukemia cells.” Ventecolax works in combination with existing leukemia drugs, Decitabine and Azocytadine.
“Now, when we add this BCL2 inhibitor,” he says, “we see dramatic improvements in the response rates. Almost triple the response rates, which means the absence of leukemia — we can’t see or find any leukemia in the patient any longer.”
“The therapy is very well tolerated,” he adds. “and we often can give it as an outpatient, and the responses are lasting much longer than what we have seen with the current standard therapy, which is Decitabine or Azacitidine by itself.”
This is an important breakthrough in the treatment of AML. “I think it will find a quick adoption in clinical practice pretty rapidly,” Dr. Tibes says.
Dr. Tibes would choose this combination drug therapy himself, if needed. “And if I am a leukemia patient today, or my brother – which I rarely say – I would ask for that combination.”
Combination drug therapy with Ventecolax is just one weapon in the fight against leukemia. “It doesn’t mean this combination will replace chemotherapy or allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplantation,” he says.
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Dr. Raoul Tibes is the Director of the Clinical Leukemia Program at NYU Langone Health's Perlmutter Cancer Center. Read More
“My laboratory, almost ten years ago, discovered that this drug, Ventecolax, may enhance the activity against leukemia cells,” says Dr. Raoul Tibes, Director, Clinical Leukemia Program, NYU Langone Health. “It’s a BCL2 inhibitor.”
The reason? Ventecolax, he explains, inhibits a specific protein within the cells (known as BCL2) that works to protect leukemia cells.
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“BCL2 are proteins inside the cells that help the leukemia cells to evade chemotherapy. So they are protecting leukemia cells,” he explains. “If you have a BCL2 inhibitor, now that inhibits — or takes out– the activity of those proteins inside leukemia cells.” Once the BCL2 proteins are disabled, the leukemia cells die more easily, he says.
“The goal,” says Dr. Tibes, “is to disable the BCL2 protein, so it can no longer protect the leukemia cells.” Ventecolax works in combination with existing leukemia drugs, Decitabine and Azocytadine.
“Now, when we add this BCL2 inhibitor,” he says, “we see dramatic improvements in the response rates. Almost triple the response rates, which means the absence of leukemia — we can’t see or find any leukemia in the patient any longer.”
“The therapy is very well tolerated,” he adds. “and we often can give it as an outpatient, and the responses are lasting much longer than what we have seen with the current standard therapy, which is Decitabine or Azacitidine by itself.”
This is an important breakthrough in the treatment of AML. “I think it will find a quick adoption in clinical practice pretty rapidly,” Dr. Tibes says.
Dr. Tibes would choose this combination drug therapy himself, if needed. “And if I am a leukemia patient today, or my brother – which I rarely say – I would ask for that combination.”
Combination drug therapy with Ventecolax is just one weapon in the fight against leukemia. “It doesn’t mean this combination will replace chemotherapy or allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplantation,” he says.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Raoul Tibes is the Director of the Clinical Leukemia Program at NYU Langone Health's Perlmutter Cancer Center. Read More
