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Table 1 TKIs used for the treatment of patients with CP-CML: overview of US prescribing information*

From: Management of adverse events associated with bosutinib treatment of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia: expert panel review

TKI

Mechanism of action

Indications in adults with CP-CML (as of September 2018)

Most frequently reported AEs

Warnings and precautions

Bosutinib [1]

• Inhibits BCR-ABL1 and SRC family (including SRC, LYN, and HCK) kinases

• 1L

• ≥ 2L in patients with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy

• Incidence ≥ 20%: diarrhea, nausea, thrombocytopenia, rash, vomiting, abdominal pain, anemia, pyrexia, liver test abnormalities, fatigue, cough, headache, and edema

• No black-box warnings

• Fetal harm

• GI toxicity: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain

• Myelosuppression: thrombocytopenia, anemia, neutropenia

• Hepatic toxicity: one case of drug-induced liver injury (defined as concurrent elevations in ALT or AST ≥ 3 × ULN with total bilirubin > 2 × ULN and alkaline phosphatase < 2 × ULN)

• Fluid retention: may manifest as pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, pulmonary edema, and/or peripheral edema

• Renal toxicity: decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate

Dasatinib [16]

• Inhibits BCR-ABL1, SRC family (SRC, LCK, YES, and FYN), c-KIT, ephrin (EPH) receptor A2, PDGFRβ kinases

• 1L

• ≥ 2L in patients with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy

• Incidence ≥ 15%: myelosuppression, fluid retention events (with pleural effusion occurring in 28% during long-term follow-up), diarrhea, headache, skin rash, hemorrhage, dyspnea, fatigue, nausea, and musculoskeletal pain

• No black-box warnings

• Fetal harm

• Myelosuppression: thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, anemia

• Bleeding-related events (mostly associated with severe thrombocytopenia): central nervous system, GI hemorrhages

• Fluid retention: sometimes severe, including pleural effusions

• QT prolongation

• Cardiac dysfunction, including ischemic events, cardiac-related fluid retention, arrhythmia, and palpitations

• Pulmonary arterial hypertension

• Severe dermatologic reactions

• Tumor lysis syndrome

Imatinib [14]

• Inhibits BCR-ABL1, stem cell factor, c-KIT, PDGFR kinases

• 1L (follow-up limited to 5 years)

• ≥ 2L after failure of interferon-alpha therapy

• Incidence ≥ 30%: edema, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, rash, fatigue, abdominal pain

• No black-box warnings

• Fetal harm

• Edema and severe fluid retention

• Anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia

• Severe congestive heart failure, LV dysfunction

• Severe hepatotoxicity

• Grade 3/4 hemorrhage and GI perforations

• Cardiogenic shock/LV dysfunction in patients with conditions associated with high eosinophil levels

• Bullous dermatologic reactions

• Hypothyroidism

• Tumor lysis syndrome

• Renal toxicity

• Motor vehicle accidents

Nilotinib [15]

• Inhibits BCR-ABL1, PDGFR, c-KIT, colony stimulating factor-1 receptor, discoidin domain receptor-1 kinases

• 1L

• ≥ 2L in patients with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy that included imatinib

• Incidence ≥ 20% (non-hematologic): nausea, rash, headache, fatigue, pruritus, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, constipation, arthralgia, nasopharyngitis, pyrexia, night sweats

• Most common hematologic: thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, anemia

• Black-box warning for QT prolongation and sudden death. Do not administer in patients with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, or long QT syndrome; avoid concomitant drugs known to prolong QT interval and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors; avoid food 2 h before and 1 h after dose

• Fetal harm

• Myelosuppression: neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia

• Cardiac and arterial vascular occlusive events

• Pancreatitis, elevated serum lipase

• Hepatotoxicity: elevations in bilirubin, AST/ALT, alkaline phosphatase

• Electrolyte abnormalities: hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, hyponatremia

• Tumor lysis syndrome

• Hemorrhage

• Total gastrectomy (removal of the entire stomach)

• Fluid retention: pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, severe fluid retention

• Treatment discontinuation; monitor frequently for typical BCR-ABL transcripts

Ponatinib [17]

• Inhibits ABL and T315I mutant ABL, SRC family, KIT, RET, TIE2, FLT3, VEGF receptor, PDGFR, fibroblast growth factor receptor, EPH receptor kinases

• ≥ 2L in patients for whom no other TKI therapy is indicated

• ≥ 2L in patients with T315I mutation [18]

• Incidence ≥ 20% (non-hematologic): abdominal pain, rash, constipation, headache, dry skin, arterial occlusion, fatigue, hypertension, pyrexia, arthralgia, nausea, diarrhea, lipase increased, vomiting, myalgia, and pain in extremity

• Most common hematologic: thrombocytopenia, anemia, neutropenia, lymphopenia, leukopenia

• Black-box warning for arterial occlusion, venous thromboembolism, heart failure, and hepatotoxicity (including liver failure and death)

• Fetal harm

• Hypertension

• Pancreatitis

• Neuropathy (peripheral and cranial)

• Hemorrhage (cerebral and GI)

• Ocular toxicity

• Fluid retention: peripheral edema, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, and peripheral swelling

• Cardiac arrhythmias

• Myelosuppression: thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, anemia

• Tumor lysis syndrome

• Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome

• Compromised wound healing and GI perforation

  1. *Based on the current USA labels, for consistency as an overview
  2. Abbreviations: 1L first-line, 2L second-line, AE adverse event, ALT alanine aminotransferase, AST aspartate aminotransferase, CP chronic-phase, CML chronic myeloid leukemia; CYP cytochrome P450, EPH ephrin receptor, GI gastrointestinal, LV left ventricular, MI myocardial infarction, PDGFR platelet-derived growth factor receptor, TKI tyrosine kinase inhibitor, ULN upper limit of normal, VEGF vascular endothelial growth factor