Skip to main content

Trametinib Safe, Effective for Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 18, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 18, 2024 -- For children with relapsed or refractory juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), trametinib is safe and effective, according to a study published online June 12 in Cancer Discovery.

Noting that patients with relapsed or refractory (advanced) JMML have poor outcomes, Elliot Stieglitz, M.D., from the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues examined the safety and efficacy of trametinib, an oral MEK1/2 inhibitor, in a phase 2 trial involving 10 patients with advanced JMML.

The researchers found that the objective response rate was 50 percent. After receiving trametinib, four patients with refractory disease proceeded to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Three additional patients completed all 12 cycles of trametinib permitted in the study and then received trametinib off-protocol, without undergoing HSCT. The remaining three patients had progressive disease; by the end of cycle 2, two of these patients had molecular evolution.

"Our trial offered an option for parents who did not want to subject their children to a repeat HSCT and, in some cases, helped patients avoid HSCT entirely," Stieglitz said in a statement. "The findings suggest that trametinib may be a less toxic alternative to HSCT for select patients."

Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry; Novartis provided trametinib for the study.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Posttransplant Cyclophosphamide GVHD Prophylaxis Beneficial in Leukemia

MONDAY, June 24, 2024 -- For patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation, posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy)...

Second Tumors Are Rare After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy

FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- Second tumors are rarely seen after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a study published in the June 13 issue of the New England...

ASCO: Asciminib Has Superior Efficacy to TKIs for Newly Diagnosed Leukemia

WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2024 -- For patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), asciminib shows superior efficacy and a favorable safety profile compared with...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.