AbbVie Launches Venetoclax in India for AML and CLL Treatment

AbbVie, the biopharmaceutical company, announced the launch of Venetoclax for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in India on AML World Awareness Day. This makes AbbVie the latest entrant into the Indian oncology market.   

AML is an aggressive cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow. With limited treatment options available, old age and inability to tolerate intense chemotherapy become the more restricting constraints. Venetoclax is the first member in a class of BCL-2 inhibitors to selectively target and kill bone marrow and blood cancer cells. It is meant for patients who cannot get conventional chemotherapy.

According to estimates based on data from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, on an approximate 2.5 incidences per 100,000 people, the disease burden of AML in India is evident from this low incidence rate. This warrants the imperative need for greater treatment choices, particularly for individuals deemed unfit for demanding therapy.

Indian realities in AML care include increasing burden among the elderly, lack of access to novel drugs, and challenges caused by delayed diagnosis. An oral regimen of Venetoclax allows clinicians to adapt therapy to each patient's individual health status and tolerance to treatment.