Risk assessment of venetoclax-associated adverse events: a meta-analysis approach

INTRODUCTION: Venetoclax, an oral B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitor, shows promise in cancer treatment but has an unclear safety profile. This meta-analysis evaluates the safety of venetoclax, focusing on adverse events. METHODS: Data from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane databases, and ClinicalTrials.gov were retrieved up to August 2023. Nine studies were included based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. A random effects model was used to calculate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The meta-analysis included nine studies. Venetoclax was associated with increased risks of neutropenia (RR = 1.427, 95% CI = 1.118 to 1.822), diarrhea (RR = 1.889, 95% CI = 1.388 to 2.570), and cardiovascular events (RR = 1.726, 95% CI = 1.088 to 2.737). However, the risk of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) with venetoclax was not increased compared to the comparators (RR = 1.478, 95% CI = 0.504 to 4.337). CONCLUSIONS: Venetoclax increases the risk of hematological, gastrointestinal, and cardiac adverse events. Clinicians should monitor these side effects, especially in patients with preexisting conditions. Further research is needed to fully understand venetoclax's safety profile. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: https://inplasy.com/ identifier is INPLASY2023110041.