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CompletedNCT07773909Updated Aug 21, 2026

Venetoclax With Hypomethylating Agents in Newly Diagnosed AML Unfit for Intensive Chemotherapy

A Phase 4 interventional study of Venetoclax and Azacitidine in Acute Myeloid Leukemia, sponsored by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Completed at 1 site in Bangladesh. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-21.

Sponsored by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
24
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This single-arm interventional study evaluated the short-term outcome of one 28-day cycle of venetoclax combined with a hypomethylating agent (azacitidine or decitabine) in adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who could not receive intensive induction chemotherapy. Twenty-four patients were enrolled at the Department of Haematology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. In addition to older and comorbid patients, the cohort included younger patients for whom intensive chemotherapy was financially inaccessible - a population under-represented in existing trial and registry data. The primary endpoint was the composite remission rate (complete remission plus complete remission with incomplete haematologic recovery) assessed by bone marrow examination on Day 28. Secondary endpoints included change in complete blood count parameters, treatment-emergent adverse events, and 28-day mortality.

Read the detailed description

Background and Rationale

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) predominantly affects older adults, who often cannot tolerate intensive induction chemotherapy due to comorbidity or poor performance status. In low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh, a secondary population-younger, medically fit patients-is also unable to receive intensive therapy due to prohibitive costs. While hypomethylating agents (HMAs) combined with venetoclax represent a standard lower-intensity approach, real-world data on this regimen are lacking in Bangladesh and sparse for financially constrained younger cohorts. This study evaluates the short-term outcomes of a single cycle of venetoclax plus an HMA in both groups at a public tertiary care hospital.

Intervention Details \& Dosing Nuances

Participants receive one 28-day cycle consisting of either IV azacitidine (75 mg/m² daily on Days 1-7) or IV decitabine (20 mg/m² daily on Days 1-5), based on physician discretion. Oral venetoclax is administered at 100 mg on Day 1, 200 mg on Day 2, and maintained at 100 mg daily from Day 3 to Day 28. The venetoclax dose is intentionally capped at 100 mg daily (instead of standard higher dosing) because all participants receive concomitant oral voriconazole (200 mg twice daily, Days 3-28) for antifungal prophylaxis, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor requiring mandatory venetoclax dose reduction. Tumour lysis syndrome prophylaxis and standard supportive care (transfusions, antimicrobials) are provided per institutional protocols.

02

Conditions studied

  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia
  • Age 18 years or older
  • Deemed ineligible for intensive chemotherapy by the treating physician based on age (≥60 years), performance status or comorbidity, financial constraints, or patient unwillingness to receive intensive chemotherapy
  • Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute promyelocytic leukemia
  • Previous treatment with a hypomethylating agent
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
24 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Venetoclax + Hypomethylating Agent

    Single arm. All participants received one 28-day cycle of venetoclax combined with either azacitidine or decitabine at investigator discretion, with antifungal prophylaxis.

    Drug: Venetoclax · Drug: Azacitidine · Drug: Decitabine · Drug: Voriconazole

Interventions

  • DrugVenetoclax

    Oral venetoclax 100 mg on Day 1, 200 mg on Day 2, then 100 mg daily Days 3-28. Dose maintained at 100 mg from Day 3 because of concomitant strong CYP3A4 inhibition by voriconazole.

  • DrugAzacitidine

    75 mg/m² intravenously, Days 1-7 of the 28-day cycle.

  • DrugDecitabine

    20 mg/m² intravenously, Days 1-5 of the 28-day cycle.

  • DrugVoriconazole

    200 mg orally twice daily, Days 3-28, as antifungal prophylaxis.

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Composite remission rate (CR + CRi) after one cycle

    Proportion of participants achieving complete remission (bone marrow blasts \<5%, absence of circulating blasts and Auer rods, no extramedullary disease, ANC ≥1000/µL, platelets ≥100,000/µL) or CR with incomplete haematologic recovery (all CR criteria except residual neutropenia or thrombocytopenia), assessed on Day 28 bone marrow examination.

    Time frame: Day 28 (end of cycle 1)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in total WBC count from baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Day 28

  2. Change in absolute/differential neutrophil count from baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Day 28

  3. Change in haemoglobin concentration from baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Day 28

  4. Change in platelet count from baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Day 28

  5. Change in peripheral blood blast percentage from baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Day 28

  6. Change in bone marrow blast percentage from baseline

    Time frame: Baseline and Day 28

  7. Number of participants with treatment-emergent adverse events

    Time frame: Day 1 to Day 28

  8. All-cause mortality

    Time frame: Day 1 to Day 28

06

Study locations

1 site
  • Dhaka Medical College Hospital
    Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07773909
Lead sponsor
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Responsible party
Talha Islam Zinan (Doctor, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 19, 2026
Start date
Jun 1, 2022
Primary completion
Mar 1, 2023
Completion
Mar 1, 2023
Last update
Aug 21, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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