AbbVie's venetoclax Phase 2 trial meets primary endpoint in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL with 17P deletion

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that a Phase 2 trial of its investigational medicine venetoclax met its primary endpoint of achieving overall response rates in patients with relapsed/refractory or previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with 17p deletion, according to an independent review analysis. The open-label study evaluated the efficacy and safety of venetoclax, an inhibitor of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein that is being developed in partnership with Genentech and Roche.

Data from this study will be presented at an upcoming medical conference and will serve as the pivotal registration data for applications to the FDA, EMA and other health authorities. The safety profile was similar to previous studies and no unexpected safety signals were reported for venetoclax.

"The results from this study demonstrate the clinical activity of venetoclax in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL who have 17p deletion, a patient population that has historically been difficult to treat," said Michael Severino, M.D., executive vice president of research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "Based on these results, we intend to advance regulatory submissions for venetoclax and remain committed to the further development of this investigational medicine, and others in our pipeline, with the goal of delivering new treatment options for people affected by cancer."

In 2015, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to venetoclax for the evaluation of treatment of CLL in previously treated (relapsed/refractory) patients with the 17p deletion genetic mutation.