Ascorbate with Azacitidine and Venetoclax for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria

• Adults aged ≥ 18 who are deemed unfit for intensive chemotherapy by meeting at least one of the following criteria: * Age ≥ 75 * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance of 2-3 * Severe cardiac disorder (e.g., congestive heart failure requiring treatment, ejection fraction ≤ 50%, or chronic stable angina) * Severe pulmonary disorder (e.g., diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide [DLCO] ≤ 65% or forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] ≤ 65%) * Creatinine clearance < 45 mL/min * Hepatic disorder with total bilirubin > 1.5 times the upper limit of normal * Any other comorbidity that the investigators determine to be incompatible with intensive chemotherapy
• Newly diagnosed (non-acute promyelocytic leukemia [APL]) acute myeloid leukemia except those with cytogenetic/molecular abnormalities in the exclusion criteria
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST/serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT]) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT/serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]) ≤ 3.0 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• International normalized ratio (INR) < 1.5 x ULN and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) < 1.5 x ULN (patient could be eligible if they respond appropriately to correction with fresh frozen plasma [FFP] or cryoprecipitate)
• Patients with a history of antecedent myelodysplasia (MDS) are eligible if they have not had prior chemotherapy/hypomethylating agent (e.g., azacitidine or decitabine). Prior exposure to other investigational agents could be considered at principal investigators (PI’s) discretion
• Patients who have developed therapy-related AML after prior radiation or chemotherapy for other malignancy(ies) are eligible if they have not been exposed to hypomethylating agent (e.g., azacitidine or decitabine) and/or venetoclax
• Patients presenting with marked leukocytosis (white blood cell [WBC] > 25 k/mm3) should receive cytoreduction with hydroxyurea or cytarabine dose ≤ 1 g/m2 to mitigate the risk of tumor lysis syndrome before initiation of therapy with venetoclax
• For female participants of childbearing potential, a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (sensitivity of at least 25 mIU/mL) at screening
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Exclusion Criteria

• Both male and female participants of childbearing potential agree to use an adequate method of contraception from screening through 6 months after the last dose of study treatment
• Patients who have received prior therapy to treat their AML (except for cytoreductive hydroxyurea or cytarabine dose ≤ 1 g/m2 for hyperleukocytosis)
• Known hypersensitivity or allergy to ascorbate, azacitidine/decitabine, or venetoclax
• AML patients with the following cytogenetic/molecular aberrations are not eligible: * t(8;21)(q22;q22.1)/RUNX1::RUNX1T1 * inv(16)(p13.1q22) or t(16;16)(p13.1;q22)/ CBFB::MYH11 * bZIP in-frame mutated CEBPA without any adverse mutations * KMT2A rearrangement * NPM1 or IDH1 or IDH2 or FLT3-ITD or FLT3-TKD mutation
• Patients with kidney disease needing dialysis, diabetic nephropathy, renal transplant recipients and those with history of acute or chronic oxalate nephropathy
• Patients with primary hemochromatosis or transfusional iron overload as defined as persistently elevated Ferritin > 1000 ng/mL
• Patients with type I or type II diabetes mellitus on treatment with short acting insulin who need at least a daily blood glucose monitoring test via finger stick
• Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen
• Other major co-morbidities as determined unsuitable per the treating physician
• HIV-infection that is uncontrolled by anti-retroviral therapy. (HIV-infected patients on effective antiretroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this study)
• Patients with G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency
• Patients who are on warfarin or other strong CYP3A4 inducer/inhibitor and cannot have a drug substitution or who decline the drug substitution