Gemtuzumab ozogamicin in acute myeloid leukemia: Past, present and future

after being in the therapeutic wilderness for several decades, acute myeloid leukemia has been recently thrust into the limelight with a series of drug approvals. Technical refinements in production, genetic manipulation and chemical modification of monoclonal antibodies led to growing interest in antibodies-based treatment strategies. Much of the focus of these efforts in acute myeloid leukemia has been on cd33 as a target. On September 2, 2017, the U.S. Food and drug administration approved gemtuzumab ozogamicin for treatment of relapsed or refractory cd33+ acute myeloid leukemia. This signals a new chapter in the long and unusual story of gemtuzumab ozogamicin, which was the first antibody-drug conjugate approved for human use by the Food and drug administration. in this review we have analyzed the history of this drug which, among several mishaps, is experiencing a second youth and still represents a field to be further explored.