Testing a Generic Drug Combination to Treat AML in Tanzania

Principal Investigator: Dr. Christina Malichewe

Disease: Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Research Description: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer that is difficult to manage, and patients may have shorter lifespans if standard treatment is delayed. Standard treatment can include intensive chemotherapy and transfusions to improve patient outcomes and survival. However, patients diagnosed with AML in Tanzania and other low-resourced countries often only receive palliative care with low-dose cytarabine infusions, which are associated with hospitalizations, toxicity and poor quality of life, due to high drug costs and limited access to standard treatment. This double-blind, randomized clinical trial is assessing the safety and efficacy of using a chemotherapy drug combination (valproate, prednisolone, 6-mercaptopurine and etoposide) over cytarabine – the first trial of its kind for AML patients in Africa. This cheap drug combination can be taken orally at home and requires no hospital admission, reducing costs and patient / caregiver burden. If successful, this trial may provide an improved treatment option for AML patients in low and lower-middle income countries.

Funding Partners: Open Philanthropy

CWR Funding Role: Primary