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Venetoclax: First Global Approval

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Abstract

Venetoclax (Venclexta™) is an oral selective inhibitor of the prosurvival protein BCL-2 and therefore restores the apoptotic ability of malignant cells. The drug arose from research by Abbott Laboratories (now AbbVie) during a collaboration with Genentech and is being co-developed by AbbVie and Genentech/Roche primarily for the treatment of haematological malignancies. Venetoclax is approved in the USA for use as monotherapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) with the 17p deletion (as detected by an approved FDA test) who have received at least one prior therapy, and is awaiting approval for similar indications in the EU and Canada. Venetoclax is also in phase I-III development as combination therapy for CLL, phase I/II development as monotherapy and/or combination therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphomas (including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma) and acute myeloid leukaemia, and phase I development for multiple myeloma, systemic lupus erythematosus and breast cancer. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of venetoclax leading to this first approval for CLL.

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Correspondence to Emma D. Deeks.

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The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the article. Changes resulting from any comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific completeness and accuracy. E. D. Deeks is a salaried employee of Adis, Springer SBM.

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This profile has been extracted and modified from the AdisInsight database. AdisInsight tracks drug development worldwide through the entire development process, from discovery, through pre-clinical and clinical studies to market launch and beyond.

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Deeks, E.D. Venetoclax: First Global Approval. Drugs 76, 979–987 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-016-0596-x

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