Boehringer Ingelheim starts pivotal trial of volasertib in AML

German family-owned drug major Boehringer Ingelheim has started a Phase III trial of its polo-like kinase (Plk) inhibitor volasertib alongside chemotherapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The trial - called POLO-AML-2 - will enrol AML patients who are ineligible for intensive therapy, a group which has a very poor prognosis and the lowest survival rate of any leukemia type. The announcement was made yesterday on the sixth International Rare Disease day.

Klaus Dugi, Boehringer's corporate senior vice president of medicine, noted that rare diseases are often incorrectly diagnosed and lack viable treatment options, and starting the new study is a milestone for AML therapy. "Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to developing innovative medications that improve patients' lives and has put considerable effort into research and development of treatments for orphan diseases," Prof Dugi added.