TARGETED MEDICINE FOR CANCER

New promising targeted drug for a rare leukaemia being developed

Venetoclax works by sensitising cancer cells to programmed cell death. However, a new study now shows that venetoclax does not appear to be effective against erythroid and megakaryoblastic leukaemias, two rare subtypes of the disease that are difficult to treat. In these leukaemia types, malignant cells resemble blood stem cells that produce red blood cells or platelets. Currently, few treatment options are available to these patients.