The Role of Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin in Elderly AML Patients in Complete Remission

Abstract

The majority of patients (pts) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are diagnosed in their 6th and 7th decade of life. AML in elderly pts is associated with poor response to conventional chemotherapy and limited long-term survival, reflecting a higher incidence multidrug resistance mechanisms, a low bone marrow reserve which may prevent/delay the recovery of hematopoiesis after treatment, and the occurrence of co-morbidities. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) is an immunoconjugate with a humanized anti-CD33 that after internalization, releases a cytotoxic drug, calicheamicin; ≥80% of AML pts have myeloid blast cells that express the CD33 surface antigen. GO as a single agent has low antileukemic activity (Sievers et al, J Clin Oncol 2001;19:3244–54). However, GO is being used at lower doses in combined chemotherapy regimens as induction or postremission therapy