Table 2.

Selected antileukemic drugs being tested in clinical trials.

DrugMechanism of actionSubtype of leukemia targeted
Adapted and reproduced with permission Pui CH, Robison LL, Look AT. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Lancet. 2008;371:1030–1043.1  
Clofarabine Inhibits DNA polymerase and ribonucleotide reductase; disrupts mitochondria membrane All 
Nelarabine Inhibits ribonucleotide reductase and DNA synthesis T-cell 
Forodesine Inhibits purine nucleoside phosphorylase T-cell 
γ-secretase inhibitors Inhibit γ-secretase, an enzyme required for NOTCH1 signaling T-cell 
Rituximab Anti-CD20 chimeric murine-human monoclonal antibody CD20-positive 
Epratuzumab Anti-CD22 humanized monoclonal antibody CD22-positive 
Alemtuzumab Anti-CD52 humanized monoclonal antibody CD52-positive 
Gemtuzumab ozogamicin Anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody conjugated with calicheamicin CD33-positive 
Imatinib mesylate ABL kinase inhibition BCR-ABL-positive 
Nilotinib ABL kinase inhibition BCR-ABL-positive 
Dasatinib BCR-ABL kinase inhibition BCR-ABL-positive 
Lestaurtinib; midostaurin; tandutinib; sunitinib hyperdiploid IMC-EB10 FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibition MLL-rearranged; maleate 
Tipifarnib; lonafarnib Farnesyltransferase inhibition All 
Azacytidine; decitabine; temozolomide DNA methyltransferase inhibition All 
Romidepsin; vorinostat; valproic acid; MD-27–275; AN-9 Histone deacetylase inhibition All 
Sirolimus; temsirolimus; everolimus; AP-23573 Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition All 
Bortezomib Inhibition of ubiquitin proteasome pathway All 
Flavopiridol Serine-threonine cyclin-dependent kinase inhibition All 
Oblimersen Downregulation of BCL2 All 
17-AAG Heat shock protein-90 inhibitor BCR-ABL-positive; ZAP-70-positive 
DrugMechanism of actionSubtype of leukemia targeted
Adapted and reproduced with permission Pui CH, Robison LL, Look AT. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Lancet. 2008;371:1030–1043.1  
Clofarabine Inhibits DNA polymerase and ribonucleotide reductase; disrupts mitochondria membrane All 
Nelarabine Inhibits ribonucleotide reductase and DNA synthesis T-cell 
Forodesine Inhibits purine nucleoside phosphorylase T-cell 
γ-secretase inhibitors Inhibit γ-secretase, an enzyme required for NOTCH1 signaling T-cell 
Rituximab Anti-CD20 chimeric murine-human monoclonal antibody CD20-positive 
Epratuzumab Anti-CD22 humanized monoclonal antibody CD22-positive 
Alemtuzumab Anti-CD52 humanized monoclonal antibody CD52-positive 
Gemtuzumab ozogamicin Anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody conjugated with calicheamicin CD33-positive 
Imatinib mesylate ABL kinase inhibition BCR-ABL-positive 
Nilotinib ABL kinase inhibition BCR-ABL-positive 
Dasatinib BCR-ABL kinase inhibition BCR-ABL-positive 
Lestaurtinib; midostaurin; tandutinib; sunitinib hyperdiploid IMC-EB10 FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibition MLL-rearranged; maleate 
Tipifarnib; lonafarnib Farnesyltransferase inhibition All 
Azacytidine; decitabine; temozolomide DNA methyltransferase inhibition All 
Romidepsin; vorinostat; valproic acid; MD-27–275; AN-9 Histone deacetylase inhibition All 
Sirolimus; temsirolimus; everolimus; AP-23573 Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition All 
Bortezomib Inhibition of ubiquitin proteasome pathway All 
Flavopiridol Serine-threonine cyclin-dependent kinase inhibition All 
Oblimersen Downregulation of BCL2 All 
17-AAG Heat shock protein-90 inhibitor BCR-ABL-positive; ZAP-70-positive 
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