SUMMARY: FLT3-ITD (FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 – Internal Tandem Duplications) mutations are seen in approximately a third of the patients with AML and are associated with early relapse and poor survival. Quizartinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which has demonstrated activity in patients with both wild type FLT3 as well as those with FLT3 mutations. In this phase II trial, 333 patients were enrolled and divided into 2 cohorts – patients older than 60 years and those between 18 and 60 years of age. The data presented here relates to cohort 2 (younger cohort) which included 137 patients with AML, who either relapsed or were refractory to second line chemotherapy or relapsed after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Of these patients, 99 were FLT3 -ITD mutation positive and 38 were FLT3 wild type. The dose of Quizartinib was 90 mg/day for women and 135 mg/day for men and was given continuously in 28-day cycles. This dosing schedule was chosen because of the risk for QT interval prolongation, based on gender. The primary end point was a composite complete remission rate (CRc), which included complete remission, complete remission with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp) and complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi). Patients with FLT3 mutations had a CRc of 44% with 4% CR and 40% CRi. The median duration of response was 11.3 weeks and the median overall survival was 23.1 weeks. This compared to a CRc of 34% for those with wild type FLT3. Thirty four percent (34%) of the patients were able to undergo HSCT following response to Quizartinib. The most common side effects included nausea, vomiting, QT prolongation, cytopenia, diarrhea and fatigue. The authors concluded that Quizartinib has significant activity in patients with resistant and refractory AML and can facilitate HCST in about a third of the treated patients. Levis MJ, Perl AE, Dombret H, et al. 54th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition 2012, Abstract 673