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Khawandanah, Mohamad

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6627-1933

Mayo Clinic

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Citations 4

Ziftomenib with venetoclax and azacitidine in relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia
Wang, Eunice S. , Erba, Harry P. , Zeidan, Amer M., Roboz, Gail J. , Altman, Jessica, Advani, Anjali S. , Lin, Tara L. , Strickland, Stephen A. , Juckett, Mark , Pratz, Keith W., Mangan, James K. , McMahon, Christine M. , Alsfeld, Leonard Clarkson, Murthy, Guru Subramanian Guru, Rotta, Marcello, Palmisiano, Neil, McCloskey, James, Khawandanah, Mohamad, Naqvi, Kiran, Qasrawi, Ayman , Schiller, GJ, Badar, Talha, Gojo, Ivana , Yaghmour, George , Osman, Diaa, Zhang, Hongling, Tian, Ying, Soifer, Harris S., Riches, Marcie, Corum, Daniel, Leoni, Mollie, Fathi, Amir , Juckett, Mark , Saliba, Antoine N , Madanat, Yazan , Badar, Talha , Gojo, Ivana , Fathi, Amir T , Issa, Ghayas , Wang, Eunice S. , Erba, Harry Paul , Strickland, Stephen Anthony , Roboz, Gail J , Advani, Anjali S , Lin, Tara L , Zeidan, Amer M. , Altman, Jessica K. , Pratz, Keith W. , Alsfeld, Leonard C. , Balasubramanian, Suresh , Murthy, Guru Subramanian Guru , Palmisiano, Neil , McCloskey, James, Saliba, Antoine N. , Khawandanah, Mohamad , Madanat, Yazan F. , Naqvi, Kiran , Badar, Talha , Osman, Diaa , Zhang, Hongling, Soifer, Harris S. , Riches, Marcie , Corum, Daniel, Leoni, Mollie

Blood Journal | June 2, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1182/blood.2026034043 Get It

Ziftomenib - a potent, selective, oral menin inhibitor - is approved as monotherapy for adults with relapsed/refractory (R/R) NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (NPM1-m AML). The KOMET-007 phase 1 trial investigated clinical activity and tolerability of ziftomenib in combination with standard therapies for R/R and newly diagnosed AML. Here, we report outcomes of adults with R/R NPM1-m AML treated with ziftomenib plus venetoclax/azacitidine. In phase 1a, patients received ziftomenib 200, 400, or 600 mg once daily with standard doses of venetoclax/azacitidine. In phase 1b, ziftomenib 600 mg was selected for expansion. Sixty-seven patients were treated (27 phase 1a; 40 phase 1b). Median age was 66 years, and 55% were men. Median number of prior therapies was 1 (range 1-8); 55% received prior venetoclax and 22% had prior transplantation. Most common (≥20%) grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were leukopenia (34%), thrombocytopenia (28%), febrile neutropenia and neutropenia (25% each). Six patients developed QTc prolongation (1 ziftomenib-related; grade 1), and 2 experienced differentiation syndrome (grade 3); all events were successfully managed. In patients receiving ziftomenib 600 mg, composite complete remission (CRc) rate was 46% (22/48), with 67% (12/18) achieving central measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity (<0.01% threshold). In venetoclax-naïve and -exposed patients, CRc rates were 70% (16/23) and 24% (6/25), with MRD-negativity rates of 75% (9/12) and 50% (3/6), respectively. Median duration of response was 8.6 months, and median overall survival was not reached. The combination of ziftomenib 600 mg with venetoclax/azacitidine was well tolerated with deep and durable clinical activity in R/R NPM1-m AML. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT05735184.
Ziftomenib in combination with venetoclax and azacitidine in relapsed/refractory NPM1-m or KMT2A-r acute myeloid leukemia: Updated phase 1a/b safety and clinical activity results from KOMET-007
Issa, Ghayas C., Fathi, Amir T. , Altman, Jessica K. , Pratz, Keith W. , Schiller, Gary J. , Palmisiano, Neil , Rotta, Marcello, McMahon, Christine M. , Khawandanah, Mohamad , Yaghmour, George , McCloskey, James, Mangan, James K. , Gojo, Ivana , Osman, Diaa , Zhang, Hongling , Tian, Ying , Riches, Marcie , Corum, Daniel, Leoni, Mollie , Issa, Ghayas , Zeidan, Amer M. , Erba, Harry Paul , Roboz, Gail J. , Juckett, Mark , Lin, Tara L. , Balasubramanian, Suresh , Advani, Anjali S. , Strickland, Stephen Anthony , Madanat, Yazan F. , Badar, Talha , Saliba, Antoine N. , Wang, Eunice S.

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 764-764

10.1182/blood-2025-764 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Leukemogenesis is driven by nucleophosmin 1 mutations(NPM1-m) or lysine methyltransferase 2A rearrangements(KMT2A-r) in ~35–40% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. Nearly half of AML patients will develop relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease within a year, with <20% expected response rate following venetoclax/azacitidine (Ven/Aza) and progressively poorer outcomes with each subsequent line of therapy. Ziftomenib–a potent, highly selective, oral, investigational menin inhibitor–has demonstrated clinical activity as both monotherapy and in combination for adults with R/R NPM1-m or KMT2A-r AML. KOMET-007 (NCT05735184) is an ongoing, open-label, ph1a/b study of ziftomenib in combination with standard chemotherapies in adults with newly diagnosed and R/R NPM1-m or KMT2A-r AML. Here we present updated safety and clinical activity in patients with R/R AML treated with the recommended ph2 dose (RP2D) of ziftomenib 600 mg in combination with Ven/Aza across ph1a/b. Methods: Adults (≥18y) with R/R NPM1-m or KMT2A-r AML enrolled independently into separate arms; patients in dose escalation (ph1a) and expansion (ph1b) were treated with oral ziftomenib 600 mg once daily (QD; continuously from C1D8 onward) plus standard doses of Ven/Aza. Primary endpoints: AEs, complete remission (CR; ELN 2022), dose limiting toxicities (DLT; ph1a only). Key secondary endpoints: composite CR (CRc; CR with full, partial or incomplete hematologic recovery), overall response, duration of response. Results: As of June 25, 2025, 80 patients (51 NPM1-m, 29 KMT2A-r) with R/R AML were enrolled (20 ph1a; 60 ph1b) and treated with ziftomenib 600 mg QD + Ven/Aza. Median age was 63y (range 19–85), 50% were female, 74% had ECOG PS 0–1; 22 (28%) had FLT3 co-mutations and 7 (9%) had IDH co-mutations. Median number of prior therapies was 1 (range 1–6); 18% (14/80) had prior stem cell transplant; 25 (49%) NPM1-m and 19 (66%) KMT2A-r patients had prior Ven exposure. 71 patients (89%) had Gr ≥3 treatment-emergent AEs, most commonly (≥20% of patients) febrile neutropenia (31%), decreased platelet count (28%), decreased white blood cell count (26%) and decreased neutrophil count (23%). Gr ≥3 ziftomenib-related AEs occurred in 30 patients (38%), most commonly febrile neutropenia (9%) and anemia (8%). 6% of patients discontinued ziftomenib treatment due to AEs. Differentiation syndrome (DS) occurred in 1 (1%) NPM1-m patient (Gr 3), which lasted 1d and successfully resolved with protocol-specified DS mitigation. No ziftomenib-related QTc prolongation was reported with the combination, and no DLTs were observed in ph1a. 70 patients (43 NPM1-m; 27 KMT2A-r) were response-evaluable (≥1 response assessment or death). Median follow-up was 18.0 wks for NPM1-m and 16.4 wks for KMT2A-r. Overall response rates (ORRs) were 65% (28/43) for NPM1-m and 33% (9/27) for KMT2A-r. CRc rates were 49% (21/43) for NPM1-m and 22% (6/27) for KMT2A-r after median time to first CRc of 4.9 wks (range 2.7–15.6) and 5.5 wks (range 2.6–18.9), respectively; measurable residual disease (MRD)-negativity rates (local) among tested CRc responders were 50% (9/18) for NPM1-m and 60% (3/5) for KMT2A-r after median time to first MRD-negativity of 5.9 wks (range 2.9–15.6) and 8.1 wks (range 7.7–18.9), respectively. During continuous ziftomenib administration in patients who achieved CRc, median time to neutrophil recovery (≥1×109/L) was 43d overall (43d for NPM1-m; 71d for KMT2A-r), and median time to platelet recovery (≥100×109/L) was 27d overall (27d for NPM1-m; 23d for KMT2A-r). As of the data cutoff, overall median duration of CRc was not estimable; median overall survival was not estimable for NPM1-m and 21.1 wks for KMT2A-r. In Ven-naive patients, CRc rates were 71% (15/21) for NPM1-m and 33% (3/9) for KMT2A-r; CR rates were 48% (10/21) and 11% (1/9); and ORRs were 81% (17/21) and 56% (5/9), respectively. The study is ongoing with 44% (19/43) of NPM1-m and 11% (3/27) of KMT2A-r patients still on treatment, with responses continuing to evolve.Updated data to be presented.Conclusions: In the ongoing KOMET-007 study, ziftomenib RP2D of 600 mg QD + Ven/Aza was well tolerated with robust clinical activity in patients with R/R NPM1-mor KMT2A-rAML. No ziftomenib-related QTc prolongation was reported. One case of DS (NPM1-m, Gr 3) successfully resolved with protocol-specified mitigation. These data support further investigation of ziftomenib-based combinations in R/R NPM1-mand KMT2A-rAML.
Ziftomenib in Relapsed or Refractory NPM1 -Mutated AML
Wang, Eunice S. , Montesinos, Pau , Foran, James M. , Erba, Harry P. , Rodríguez‐Arbolí, Eduardo , Fedorov, Kateryna, Heiblig, Maël , Heidel, Florian H. , Altman, Jessica K. , Baer, Maria R. , Pettit, Kristen , Papayannidis, Cristina , Walter, Roland B. , Khawandanah, Mohamad , Garcia, Olga Salamero, Bergeron, Julie , Ulrickson, Matthew L. , Redner, Robert L. , McCloskey, James, Pigneux, Arnaud , Fuente, Adolfo de la , Mitra, Amitava , Soifer, Harris S. , Tabachri, Marilyn, Zhang, Zijing , Riches, Marcie , Corum, Daniel, Leoni, Mollie , Barabé, Frédéric , Bergeron, Julie, Castillo, Teresa Bernal del, Berthon, Céline, Elsawy, Mahmoud , Reyner, Jordi Esteve, Fedorov, Kateryna, Giannini, Caterina, Heiblig, Maël, Issa, Ghayas C., Penedo, Agustín, Garcia, Olga Salamero, Ulrickson, Matthew, Venditti, Adriano , Walter, Roland B., Wang, Eunice S., Foran, James M , Erba, Harry Paul , Peterlin, Pierre , Berthon, Céline , Walter, Roland B , Shah, Mithun V , Balasubramanian, Suresh , Khawandanah, Mohamad , Bergeron, Julie , Roboz, Gail J , Ulrickson, Matthew , Pigneux, Arnaud , de la Fuente Burguera, Adolfo , Issa, Ghayas , Fathi, Amir T , Wang, Eunice S. , Montesinos, Pau , Pettit, Kristen , Papayannidis, Cristina , Heiblig, Mael , Fedorov, Kateryna, Adès, Lionel , Shah, Meera , Garcia, Olga Salamero, Madanat, Yazan F. , Roboz, Gail J. , Castillo, Teresa Bernal del, Deeren, Dries , Esteve, Jordi , Fedorov, Kateryna, Heiblig, Maël, Issa, Ghayas C., Lanza, Francesco , Garcia, Olga Salamero, Schwarzer, Adrian , Ulrickson, Matthew, Walter, Roland B., Wang, Eunice S.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 25, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 31 | Pages: 3381-3390

10.1200/jco-25-01694 Get It

PURPOSE Ziftomenib—a potent, highly selective, oral menin inhibitor—was well tolerated and demonstrated encouraging clinical activity as monotherapy for relapsed/refractory NPM1 -mutated ( NPM1 -m) and KMT2A -rearranged AML in the KOMET-001 phase I trial. METHODS In the registration-enabling phase II part of KOMET-001, patients with relapsed/refractory NPM1 -m AML received ziftomenib 600 mg once daily. The primary end point was the rate of complete remission with full hematologic recovery (CR)/CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRh). RESULTS From January 26, 2023, to May 13, 2024, 92 patients (median age, 69 years [range, 33-84]) were treated. The primary end point was met, with a CR/CRh rate of 22% (95% CI, 14 to 32; P = .0058); 61% were negative for measurable residual disease. Overall response rate was 33% (95% CI, 23 to 43), with a median duration of 4.6 months (95% CI, 2.8 to 7.4). Prespecified subgroup analyses showed comparable CR/CRh regardless of previous therapy, including venetoclax, or type of comutations. Median overall survival was 6.6 months (95% CI, 3.6 to 8.6). Common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were febrile neutropenia (26%), anemia (20%), and thrombocytopenia (20%). Differentiation syndrome occurred in 25% of patients (15% grade 3; no grade 4-5) and was manageable with protocol-defined mitigation. Three patients (3%) discontinued treatment because of ziftomenib-related adverse events. CONCLUSION Ziftomenib demonstrated significant clinical benefit and deep responses in patients with heavily pretreated, relapsed/refractory NPM1 -m AML. Ziftomenib was well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with previous studies, including manageable differentiation syndrome, lack of clinically significant QTc prolongation, and low rates of myelosuppression.
Erlotinib Is Not Effective In Patients (Pts) With JAK-2 V617F Positive Polycythemia Vera
Cherry, Mohamad , Khawandanah, Mohamad , Srour, Samer A. , Ozer, Howard , Selby, George B., Ghabache, Bassam, Al‐Kali, Aref , Zhao, Zhizhuang Joe

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 122 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 1597-1597

10.1182/blood.v122.21.1597.1597 Get It

Abstract Introduction Erlotinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor small-molecule inhibitor and is FDA approved for the treatment of lung and pancreatic cancers. In preclinical study, in vitro colony culture assays revealed that erlotinib at micro-molar concentrations effectively suppressed the growth and expansion of Polycythemia Vera (PV) hematopoietic progenitor cells while having little effect on normal cells. Several JAK inhibitors are being studied for the management of PV, one of which has been approved for the treatment of myelofibrosis (ruxolitinib). Aim To study the clinical effect of erlotinib in pts diagnosed with JAK2V617F + PV. Methods We conducted a single arm, prospective phase II study at the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City VA hospitals in pts with WHO defined JAK-2 V617F positive PV from June 2010 to August 2012. Appropriate IRB approval was obtained in accordance with Hilsinki declaration. Pts had to be requiring phlebotomy. Toxicity was assessed by treating physicians using NCI version 4. Dose modification for erlotinib was done using label recommendations. Results Five Caucasian pts were enrolled (3 (60%) males, with median age at enrollment of 63 years, range 26-79). Pts had pretreatment median hemoglobin14.4 g/dL (10.4 -19.2 g/dL), median platelet count 511 x109 (424-681 x109), median white blood cell (WBC) 14.4 x109(7.8- 18.3 x109). Three pts had splenomegaly prior to treatment. Median number of prior pharmacologic treatments (hydroxyurea, anagralide or interferon) was 1, range 0-2. Pts were given erlotinib 150 mg orally daily for 16 weeks: responders (phlebotomy free or decrease in spleen size) were allowed to continue a total of 1 year of treatment, while non-responders were taken off the study. Three (60%) patients received therapy for 16 weeks and did not achieve hematological response or improvement in spleen size. Two (40%) pts were taken off the study after 2 doses secondary to severe toxicities (grade 3 colitis in 1 case, and grade 3 facial rash in 1case). No therapy continued beyond 16 weeks (due to toxicity or lack of response). All pts in the study developed rash (grade 1 – 3) and diarrhea (grade 1 – 2). Three pts developed mucositis (see Table 1). No death was observed during the study and follow up period (median follow up was 23 months, range 12-37 months). Study was closed due to lack of efficacy. Conclusions Despite in vitro efficacy of erlotinib as potent inhibitor of JAK-2 activity, erlotinib is not effective in pts with JAK-2 V617F positive PV with poor toxicity profile. Poor accrual was related to potential toxicity of erlotinib compared to alternative treatments in view of lack of clinical efficacy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.