Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin in Children and Adolescents With De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia Improves Event-Free Survival by Reducing Relapse Risk: Results From the Randomized Phase III Children's Oncology Group Trial AAML0531

TLDR

The study aimed to determine whether adding gemtuzumab‑ozogamicin to standard chemotherapy improves event‑free and overall survival in children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia, with secondary analyses by risk group and intensification strategy. Patients aged 0–29 with newly diagnosed AML were randomized to receive either standard five‑course chemotherapy alone or the same regimen plus two 3 mg/m² doses of GO administered during induction course 1 and intensification course 2. GO significantly increased 3‑year event‑free survival (53.1 % vs 46.9 %, HR 0.83) and reduced relapse risk (32.8 % vs 41.3 %, HR 0.73), improving disease‑free survival, though it did not improve overall survival and was associated with higher postremission toxic mortality.

Abstract

Purpose To improve survival rates in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we evaluated gemtuzumab-ozogamicin (GO), a humanized immunoconjugate targeted against CD33, as an alternative to further chemotherapy dose escalation. Our primary objective was to determine whether adding GO to standard chemotherapy improved event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in children with newly diagnosed AML. Our secondary objectives examined outcomes by risk group and method of intensification. Patients and Methods Children, adolescents, and young adults ages 0 to 29 years with newly diagnosed AML were enrolled onto Children's Oncology Group trial AAML0531 and then were randomly assigned to either standard five-course chemotherapy alone or to the same chemotherapy with two doses of GO (3 mg/m 2 /dose) administered once in induction course 1 and once in intensification course 2 (two of three). Results There were 1,022 evaluable patients enrolled. GO significantly improved EFS (3 years: 53.1% v 46.9%; hazard ratio [HzR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99; P = .04) but not OS (3 years: 69.4% v 65.4%; HzR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.13; P = .39). Although remission was not improved (88% v 85%; P = .15), posthoc analyses found relapse risk (RR) was significantly reduced among GO recipients overall (3 years: 32.8% v 41.3%; HzR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.91; P = .006). Despite an increased postremission toxic mortality (3 years: 6.6% v 4.1%; HzR, 1.69; 95% CI, 0.93 to 3.08; P = .09), disease-free survival was better among GO recipients (3 years: 60.6% v 54.7%; HzR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.02; P = .07). Conclusion GO added to chemotherapy improved EFS through a reduction in RR for children and adolescents with AML.