The 29th Annual Meeting of the European Hematology Association (EHA) was grandly held from June 13-16, 2024, in Madrid, Spain. As the largest international conference in the field of hematology in Europe, it attracts experts and scholars from around the world each year to share and discuss innovative concepts and the latest scientific and clinical research results in hematology. At this year's conference, Professor Jun Ma's team from the Harbin Institute of Hematology and Oncology presented real-world study results on the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mitoxantrone liposome. "Oncology Frontier - Hematology Frontier" invited Professor Jun Ma for an interview to interpret the study content, discuss field development trends, and introduce the outstanding performance of Chinese teams at this conference.

Global Attention——Entering the International Stage, China’s Innovative Drugs in the Spotlight

Professor Jun Ma: Mitoxantrone liposome is an innovative drug independently developed in China by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group about ten years ago and has been on the market for approximately four years. This drug was initially aimed at treating relapsed and refractory NK/T-cell lymphoma, but recent studies have found that it also shows significant efficacy in treating relapsed/refractory AML, especially in elderly and young patients who cannot tolerate high-dose chemotherapy. At this conference, we presented a recent nationwide real-world study using a drug combination regimen based on mitoxantrone liposome for treating relapsed/refractory AML, achieving very good treatment results. About 48% of patients were able to achieve a second complete remission (CR), with a high CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRH) rate. Additionally, the drug can serve as a bridge to allogeneic transplantation, allowing patients who were previously incurable to achieve clinical cure.

Mitoxantrone liposome received widespread attention at this conference. Many foreign scholars showed great interest in this drug because such a drug is not yet available abroad. Therefore, we hope that CSPC Pharmaceutical Group can bring this innovative drug to the international market. Next, our team will continue conducting randomized, multicenter, double-blind clinical trials to further verify the efficacy of mitoxantrone liposome in treating relapsed/refractory AML, including elderly and young patients. If the results are feasible, we plan to report these findings at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in 2025 and the EHA in 2026. Thank you all for your attention and support.

Field Progress——Rapid Advances in Leukemia Treatment, Approaching High Clinical Cure Rates

Professor Jun Ma: The treatment journey of AML has progressed from combination chemotherapy in the 1970s to the present, spanning over 50 years. However, compared to lymphoma, progress in the AML field has been limited, especially in immunotherapy, with very few related studies. In recent years, targeted therapy has become increasingly important in AML. For example, the first targeted therapy drug, FLT3 inhibitor, has shown significant efficacy in treating relapsed/refractory AML. Similarly, IDH1 and IDH2 inhibitors have achieved very good results in treating IDH1-positive relapsed/refractory AML. Targeted therapy is now widely used in AML, including BCL-2 inhibitors combined with hypomethylating agents (azacitidine, decitabine) and histone deacetylase inhibitors (chidamide), showing good efficacy in patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Additionally, we have identified new targets, such as KMT2A and NPM1, present in 30% of AML patients. We also presented a comprehensive report at this conference. Looking ahead, we believe targeted therapy will achieve greater breakthroughs in AML treatment.

However, progress in immunotherapy for AML has been relatively weak, mainly due to the lack of strong targets. We hope that cell therapy and immunotherapy will become key steps in AML treatment in the future, achieving efficacy similar to that seen in B-cell lymphoma and B-cell lymphocytic leukemia. We are optimistic about this.

Since the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib, was introduced for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 2001, there has been rapid development from first to third-generation inhibitors and even composite inhibitors. After 23 years of clinical observation, it has been confirmed that long-term survival without disease can reach levels similar to normal individuals, marking that CML treatment has been standardized to a curable extent. It can now be managed similarly to chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Similarly, significant progress has been made in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment. In addition to BTK inhibitors, new second- and third-generation, as well as composite inhibitors targeting BCL-2, have emerged. Moreover, numerous predecessor drugs and targeted therapies similar to BCL-2 inhibitors have been developed, achieving treatment effects comparable to CML, reaching long-term survival levels akin to managing diabetes and hypertension.

In the field of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), progress in recent years has been particularly noteworthy. Especially in immunotherapy, such as CD19/CD3 bispecific antibodies, CD22 antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and other immunotherapies like CAR-T and CAR-NK, significant efficacy has been achieved. Notably, the clinical cure rate for pediatric ALL has reached 92%, and the long-term survival rate for adult patients has reached 50%. Therefore, whether it is ALL, AML, CLL, or CML and other leukemias, treatment progress is very rapid. We have reason to believe that leukemia will likely achieve high clinical cure rates similar to lymphoma in the future.

Chinese Power——Rising New Generation, Innovation and Exchange Leading the Future

Professor Jun Ma: This year, China’s contributions at the EHA were significant, accounting for about 17% of the papers published, second only to the EU, Canada, and the US, and ranking first in Asia. However, we still lack high-quality research results and breakthrough “first-in-class” drugs comparable to those in Europe and the US. But it is gratifying to see the rise of a new generation of young Chinese researchers, with many experts in their forties making their mark at international conferences. I believe that in the near future, China’s research and achievements will attract global attention like the “Chinese wind” and “Chinese red.” We are committed to developing in sync with our international peers, jointly tackling challenges in the treatment of hematological malignancies, and providing better medical services to patients worldwide. Innovation is the key to propelling us forward, and international academic exchanges and face-to-face discussions are crucial for the development of China’s hematology field. Therefore, I am confident that through continuous international exchanges and academic cooperation, China’s hematology field will achieve greater breakthroughs and reach the world stage. I wish for China’s hematology to achieve even more brilliant successes internationally.