Drugs under preclinical and clinical study for treatment of acute and chronic lymphoblastic leukemia

Targeted therapy has modernized the treatment of both chronic and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The introduction of monoclonal antibodies and combinational drugs has increased the survival rate of patients. Preclinical studies with various agents have resulted in positive outputs with Phase III trial drugs and monoclonal antibodies entering clinical trials. Most of the monoclonal antibodies target the CD20 and CD22 receptors. This has led to the approval of a few of these drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration. This review focuses on the drugs under preclinical and clinical study in the ongoing efforts for treatment of acute and chronic lymphoblastic leukemia.