Medical Research Agency announced the results of another call for non-commercial clinical research. The list of successful projects which are selected to be funded by the agency includes the project by the Medical University of Lodz i.e., MAGIC-AML – Multiarm, Multicenter, RAndomized, Molecularly-Guided Controlled Trial of Personalized Treatment Strategy of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.

The project, with our university as its leader, was designed by a team of researchers from the Department of Haemathology, headed by Prof. Agnieszka Wierzbowska, in collaboration with MUL Clinical Research Support Centre and Department of Biostatistics and Translational Medicine. The project received the funds amounting to PLN 32 million and will be implemented at M. Kopernik WWCOiT consortium in Lodz and Polish Adult Leukaemia Group (PALG).

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is one of the most aggressive types of haemopoietic cancer and it constitutes approx. 80% of all the acute leukaemia diagnosis in adults. The standard AML treatment procedures face serious limitations related to, among others, the lack of remission in as many as 20-40% of patients as well as with the risk of leukaemia relapse. Some hope for better treatment outcomes lies in modifications to the standard induction therapy with the use of Cladribine Added to Daunorubicin (DAC) in combination with innovative targeted therapies relying on genetically related sensitivity of neoplastic cells such as Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO), Midostaurin (M) and Venetoclax (Ven).

The project objective is to combine potentially effective DAC induction therapy with targeted therapies in genetically defined subgroups of AML patients: with CBF-AML mutation (DAC+GO), with  FLT3 mutation (DAC+M) and with the remaining mutations (DAC+Ven vs Placebo), in order to increase the post-induction therapy remission rate and to improve the total survival rate as well as to select post-remission therapy scheme according to cytogenetic and molecular features of the disease and minimal residual disease (MRD) with the use of  Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).

MAGIC-AML is a multi-centre clinical research project which will involve the cooperation of 13 regions: Lodz, Silesia, Subcarpathia, Lesser Poland, Pomerania, Lower Silesia, Lublin Region, Greater Poland, Mazovian Province, Warmian-Masurian Province, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Province and Swietokrzyskie Province. The project intends to provide health care to about 150-200 patients per year so that the ultimate number of 520 patients could be reached within the period of 42 months.

The proposed project is a suggestion of the comprehensive, modern and personalised treatment of   AML in Poland. The conducted research and the obtained results will provide the grounds for the design of a modern algorithm of AML therapy in Poland and worldwide. The obtained outcomes shall provide scientific basis for routinely performed molecular screening, MRD monitoring using NGS technique and individualisation of post-remission therapy adjusted to MRD kinetic changes, which, as a consequence, should produce desirable health outcomes in AML patients. The results will also provide direct data which will enable us to evaluate the cost effectiveness and to select optimal pharmacological therapy for AML sufferers, summarised prof. Agnieszka Wierzbowska, the project manager.