Badar, Talha

ABSTRACT Patients with newly‐diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (ND‐AML) derive variable survival benefit from venetoclax (Ven) plus hypomethylating agent (HMA) therapy, and the optimal Ven duration across genetic risk groups remains undefined. Among 540 ND‐AML patients receiving Ven‐HMA at Mayo Clinic, outcomes were compared across Ven 7‐ ( n = 33), 14‐ ( n = 117), 21‐ ( n = 96), and 28‐day ( n = 294) schedules during Cycle 1 and stratified by ELN 2024 and Mayo genetic risk groups. At a median follow‐up of 37.7 months, allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) rates were similar across Ven duration groups (15%, 18%, 18%, and 20% for 7‐, 14‐, 21‐, and 28‐day; p = 0.86). Median transplant‐censored survival was comparable across Ven durations (13.3, 11.9, 16.8, and 13.2 months for 7, 14, 21, 28 days, respectively; p = 0.65), with outcomes driven by ELN risk (6.3, 11.5, 18.3 months for high, intermediate, low; p < 0.01) and Mayo genetic risk (6.9, 17.8 months, not reached; p < 0.01). Survival was comparable across Ven durations within ELN intermediate/low‐risk and all Mayo risk groups. Among ELN high‐risk patients, 14‐day Ven was associated with inferior transplant‐censored survival compared to 21‐ and 28‐day schedules ( p < 0.01). Notably, 30‐ and 60‐day mortality were higher with shorter Ven schedules (7‐day: 9%/18%; 14‐day: 7%/15%) versus 28‐day (2%/6%), which likely reflects treatment selection bias. In ND‐AML, no significant difference in transplant‐censored survival was observed across the 7‐, 14‐, 21‐, and 28‐day Ven schedules; prognosis was determined primarily by Mayo and ELN 2024 genetic risk rather than by Ven duration. Prospective trials are needed to establish risk‐adapted Ven dosing strategies.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) pathogenesis is deeply rooted in the concept of clonal evolution, in which hematopoietic stem cells experience an initial genetic insult, followed by the sequential acquisition of mutations leading to various disease phenotypes. Through natural selection, a malignant clone can diversify and propagate with time. Aside from clonal evolution, a number of time-honored principles of molecular oncology account for the initiation and maintenance of AML. These principles include loss of heterozygosity, genomic instability, epigenomic disruption, deregulation of signaling pathways, anti-apoptotic mechanisms, and oncogene addiction. Such tenets of cancer biology not only explain AML cellular behavior but also may inform target validation in AML. Herein, we highlight the current state of targeted therapeutics, including the 14 novel agents (beyond 7+3 chemotherapy) approved by the Food and Drug Administration, in the context of these tenets and discuss future prospects by leveraging current knowledge of AML genomics. Such therapeutic concepts, including synthetic lethality, are especially relevant to TP53-mutant AML, as there are no unique therapies that have received regulatory approval for this subset to date. We emphasize the emerging role of single-cell genomics and multi-omics toward better understanding of AML biology and development of future successful AML therapies.

ABSTRACT We examined the prognostic value of routine NGS data in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with intensive (7 + 3 backbone) induction, specified by AML subtype. A contemporary (2015–2025) series of 545 Mayo Clinic patients (median age 56 years, females 44%) was considered. Median follow‐up was 49 months with 341 (63%) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (AHSCT) recorded. AML subtypes included core‐binding factor (CBF; N = 72; 13%), primary non‐CBF ( N = 403; 74%), post‐myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or post‐myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (post‐MDS‐MDS/MPN; N = 28; 5%), post‐MPN ( N = 15; 3%), and therapy‐related (t‐AML; N = 27; 5%). Corresponding complete remission rates, with/without count recovery (CR/CRi), were 89%, 76%, 64%, 27%, and 78% ( p < 0.01) and 5‐year transplant‐censored survival rates 68%, 57%, 21%, 0%, and 55% ( p < 0.01). In multivariable analyses, the prognostic value of specific mutations was mostly limited to primary non‐CBF AML where adverse karyotype (OR 1.9; p = 0.04) predicted inferior and FLT3 ‐ITD (OR 0.4; p < 0.01) or NPM1 MUT / FLT3 WT (OR 0.1; p < 0.01) superior CR/CRi while KRAS MUT (HR 8.8; p < 0.01), TP53 MUT (HR 5.4; p < 0.01), and TET2 MUT (HR 2.3; p = 0.01) predicted inferior and NPM1 MUT / FLT3 WT (HR 0.3; p = 0.01) superior survival. Prognostication in intensively‐treated AML should start with subtype specification and recognition of the limited value of NGS in non‐primary AML. Post‐MPN AML is particularly associated with dismal outcomes and should be prognostically distinguished from post‐MDS‐MDS/MPN AML. In primary non‐CBF AML, in addition to previously established risk factors, the favorable impact of FLT3 ‐ITD on achieving CR/CRi and the unfavorable impact of KRAS MUT and TET2 MUT on transplant‐censored survival were noted and require confirmation from additional studies.

ABSTRACT Hypomethylating agents (HMA) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) have both demonstrated remissions in VEXAS; however, comparative data is lacking. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective analysis of 66 patients diagnosed with VEXAS syndrome treated with HMA ( n = 35) or alloHSCT ( n = 31). Baseline characteristics such as genetics, co‐morbidities, and performance status were balanced between the groups, except older age in the HMA group. Median follow‐up from therapy initiation was 18 months (95% CI: 11–26), and 14 (21%) deaths were reported (alloHSCT n = 3; HMA n = 11). Among all evaluable patients within the alloHSCT cohort, all patients achieved molecular remission, and a substantial proportion of patients discontinued glucocorticoids (58%). In contrast, HMA therapy was associated with lower but meaningful rates of molecular remission (22%) and glucocorticoid discontinuation (6%). In a real‐world setting, HMA therapy was associated with a high discontinuation rate related to toxicity or lack of response. On multivariable analysis adjusted for age and Charlson Comorbidity Index, alloHSCT was associated with improved overall survival (HR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.05–0.81; p = 0.024). This association remained consistent across multiple ancillary sensitivity analyses, including restriction to transplant‐eligible patients, patients aged ≤ 75 years, 1:1 matching, and propensity score‐based weighted analyses. Although limited by retrospective design, these findings suggest that alloHSCT remains an attractive and potentially curative strategy in selected patients with VEXAS. Prospective validation of these findings is warranted.

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 (&lt;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.

Abstract Germline variants in DDX41 are the most frequent genetic predisposition to adult hematologic malignancies. The most common variants are truncating, implicating loss of function in the pathogenesis. However, non-truncating variants account for 30-40% of cases, and their impact on essential DDX41 functions remains unknown. We utilized a genetic complementation assay to assess the functionality of 10 recurrent germline non-truncating variants of DDX41. All variants restored viability to Ddx41 -deficient hematopoietic progenitor cells at exogenous expression levels. In contrast, the hotspot mutant p.R525H, which is somatically acquired at disease onset in >50% of patients, failed to restore viability. CRISPR-based modeling in cell lines and mice revealed heterogeneity: some variants were non-functional at endogenous expression levels whereas others maintained complete functionality, supporting normal cell proliferation and even lifelong hematopoiesis in a homozygous setting. Notably, co-expression of p.R525H with some variants caused impaired hematopoietic progenitor cell viability, indicating a dominant-negative effect of p.R525H. In contrast, other variants, all classified as variants of unknown significance, were unaffected by the presence of p.R525H. A screen of 100 disease-associated variants confirmed that many non-truncating germline variants are susceptible to p.R525H-mediated dominant-negative effects, whereas wild-type DDX41 is not. These findings indicate that DDX41 variant curation is complicated by variable effects on functionality and variant-specific interactions with somatically-acquired DDX41 mutations. The dominant-negative effect of p.R525H provides a mechanistic basis for the conclusion of recent patient cohort analyses that co-occurrence with a somatic hotspot mutation is a reliable indicator of DDX41-driven disease in carriers of non-truncating variants.

e18524 Background: Venetoclax (Ven) in combination with hypomethylating agents (HMA) is FDA-approved front-line therapy for elderly or unfit patients with newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (ND-AML); however, majority relapse or are refractory ( Pratz AJH 2024 ). We examined survival outcomes in the setting of frontline Ven-HMA failure. Methods: ND-AML patients with failure to achieve complete remission (CR/CRi) or loss of CR/CRi after front-line Ven+HMA, excluding post-transplant relapse were retrospectively studied. Response was evaluated per European Leukemia Net 2022 criteria ( Dohner Blood 2022 ). Results: 356 patients with ND-AML (median age 75 years; 65% males; 55% secondary) receiving frontline Ven+HMA (median; 3 cycles (1-26), had refractory [n=219 (62%)], or relapsed disease [137 (38%)]. At diagnosis, karyotype was complex in 142/347 (41%). Mutations involved TP53 (29)%, ASXL1 (19%), RUNX1 (17%), SRSF2 (15%), KRAS/NRAS (13%), IDH2 (7%), FLT3-ITD (7%), NPM1 (6%) and IDH1 (5%). At treatment failure, complex karyotype was present in 72/180 (40%), including 55 from baseline. In 137 patients with paired NGS, mutations persisted in TP53 (88%), IDH1 (86%), IDH2 (78%), NPM1 (75%), K/NRAS (73%), RUNX1 (70%), FLT3-ITD (65%) mutations. Mutations were acquired in a minority [ IDH1 / IDH2 (2% each) TP53 (3%), NPM1 (4%), FLT3-ITD (5%) K/NRAS (6%)]. Clearance of mutations were infrequent for TP53 (12%) and IDH1 (14%). At median follow-up of 4 months (mo) (0-80) from the time of relapse/refractory disease, 320 (90%) patients have died, with median survival of 4 mo (1-2-3 yr survival 19%/8%/5%). On multivariate analysis, peripheral blasts >20%, complex karyotype, and wild-type IDH1 were independent predictors of inferior survival, while allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) was associated with improved survival. A 3-point prediction model based on peripheral blasts ≥20%, complex karyotype, and wild-type IDH1 stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, with median survival of 7, 3, 2 months, respectively (p<0.01). 13 patients underwent ASCT (median survival; 22.5 mo; 3-yr survival 33%), from low (n=10) or intermediate-risk groups (n=3). Salvage therapy (n=170, 48%) yielded CR/CRi of 31% for Ven+HMA (n=36), 54% intensive chemotherapy (n=26), 50% FLT3 inhibitors (i) (n=22), 37% IDH1/2i (n=19), 25% other regimens (n=69). Median survival was similar: Ven+HMA 8 mo, intensive chemotherapy 10 mo, FLT3i 6.5 mo, IDH1/2i 14 mo, other regimens 6 mo, but inferior with supportive care (2 mo; p<0.01). Conclusions: The current study identifies peripheral blasts ≥20%, complex karyotype, and wild-type IDH1 as predictors of inferior survival in ND-AML relapsed/refractory to front-line Ven+HMA and underlines that while no specific salvage therapy conferred superior outcomes, ASCT was indispensable for long-term survival.

e13677 Background: The development of AI led to the emergence of tools such as AIS, which have been increasingly adopted in medicine. However, formal evaluation of barriers and clinical care gaps in HemOnc is limited, particularly regarding treatment plan complexities and toxicity documentation. Methods: Structured investigator-developed surveys about AIS availability, adoption, benefits, and challenges were developed on Qualtrics and approved by the IRB. HemOnc faculty physicians (FP), advanced practice providers (APP), and trainees (HOT) were surveyed between 11/14/25-1/16/26. Surveys were distributed in the USA via email, social media (on X), and ASCO myConnection. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Results: 132 participants responded to the survey: 55 FP (42%), 14 APP (11%), and 63 HOT (48%). 80% of them reported having AIS at their institutions, and 54% of those reported using these tools in their clinical practice. Among FP and APP, 72% practiced in academic settings, 14% in community, and 13% in hybrid centers. Among those not using AIS, identified barriers were issues with note formatting (56%), lack of training (25%), and concerns that the note content is incorrect or inadequate (25%). 60% are willing to use AIS if note formatting matched their preference, and 42% would try it if contents better reflected the patient encounter. Table 1 details the proportion of encounters using AIS, the portion of documentation it was used for, and the perceived challenges with these tools. Among AIS users, the average satisfaction score was 5.3 on a 7 point scale, corresponding to participants being somewhat satisfied. Participants agreed slightly that AIS had reduced their feeling of work-related burnout, with an average score of 3.6 on a 5 point scale. Overall, participants felt neutral about how well-suited AIS are for HemOnc, with an average score of 4.0 on a 7 point scale. Conclusions: Despite AIS being widely available, 46% of the surveyed HemOnc workforce do not use them in clinical practice. Those who do reported decreased time spent on documentation outside work hours and a slight reduction in the feeling of burnout. Formatting issues and record integration remain barriers, with substantial concerns about AIS not adequately describing HemOnc treatment plans. To bridge the last mile of integration into HemOnc, partnership between AIS developers and the clinical workforce is essential to meet clinical needs, while prioritizing patient safety and data privacy. FP + APP % HOT % Patient encounters where AIS is used 62 44 Used AIS for the subjective portion of note 68 96 Used AIS for the assessment/plan portions of note 40 25 AIS decreased the time on clinical documentation outside work hours 96 93 AIS note formatting needs improvement 68 57 Issues integrating AIS and outside records 46 71 AIS note contents about the plan are suboptimal 32 61

6525 Background: Venetoclax plus hypomethylating agent (Ven-HMA) is the standard treatment for unfit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (ND-AML), with Ven typically administered for 28 days (d) per cycle (DiNardo NEJM 2020) . However, the optimal duration of Ven across risk groups remains unclear. We examined survival outcomes with Ven 7, 14, 21, and 28d in ND-AML, in the context of European LeukemiaNet (ELN) and Mayo Genetic risk models. Methods: ND-AML patients receiving Ven-HMA at the Mayo Clinic were retrospectively studied. Patients were stratified by ELN 2024 (Döhner Blood 2024) and Mayo Genetic risk (Gangat Am J Hematol 2025) , and analyzed using standard statistical methods. Results: 540 patients (median age 75 years, 52% de novo) received HMA with Ven for 7d ( n =33), 14d ( n =117), 21d ( n =96), or 28d ( n =294). ELN and Mayo risk distributions were 22%/35% high, 18%/56% intermediate, 60%/9% low risk, respectively. Baseline characteristics were comparable. CR/CRi rates were comparable across Ven durations, with the exception of lower CR/CRi with 7d vs 21d (p=0.04). Risk-stratified CR/CRi showed variations across Mayo and ELN groups but without significant differences based on Ven duration (Table). Allogeneic transplant rates were 15%, 18%, 18%, 20% for 7, 14, 21, 28d (p=0.86). At a median followup of 37.7 months, median overall survival (OS) differed by ELN risk (6.6, 11.9, 20 months) and Mayo genetic risk (7.8, 17.4 months, not reached (NR)), for high, intermediate, low risk (p<0.01), respectively. Median OS was comparable across Ven 7, 14, 21, 28 d (13, 13, 17, 14 months; p=0.84), with corresponding 1/3/5-year survival rates (Table). 30/60d mortality differed by Ven duration; 7d 10%/20%, 14d 7%/15%, 21d 4%/13%, 28d 4%/6%. Compared with 28d, 30d mortality was higher with 7d and 14d (p=0.07/0.03), and 60d mortality was higher with 7d, 14d, and 21d (p=0.02/0.01/0.05). OS was comparable across Ven durations within ELN intermediate/low risk and all Mayo risk groups, except among ELN high risk, patients receiving 14d Ven had inferior OS compared with 21d and 28d (p<0.01). Cumulative incidence of relapse at 1 year was similar among patients receiving 14, 21, 28d Ven (16%, 18%, 18%;p >0.1). Conclusions: Survival outcomes were comparable across Ven 7, 14, 21, 28 d in ND-AML, with outcomes driven by Mayo Genetic and ELN risk. Despite differences by Ven duration in high-risk groups, higher early mortality with 7d and 14d likely reflects treatment selection. Prospective trials are needed to establish risk adapted Ven dosing strategies. 7 (N=33) 14 (N=117) 21 (N=96) 28 (N=294) P-value CR/CRi (%) 52 63 72 65 0.19 7≠21 Mayo Risk High 33 49 58 55 0.53 - Intermediate 55 69 80 69 0.17 7≠21 Low 100 85 80 84 0.84 - ELN Risk High 33 30 57 53 0.21 - Intermediate 33 59 64 56 0.63 - Low 62 74 80 73 0.46 - Median OS (months) 13 13 17 14 0.84 - 1/3/5-year survival (%) 53/NR/NR 51/25/22 56/23/20 55/27/20 >0.1 -