BCL2 BCL2 apoptosis regulator
ENSG00000171791 · protein coding · Open Targets profile
Suppresses apoptosis in a variety of cell systems including factor-dependent lymphohematopoietic and neural cells (PubMed:1508712, PubMed:8183370). Regulates cell death by controlling the mitochondrial membrane permeability (PubMed:11368354). Appears to function in a feedback loop system with caspases (PubMed:11368354). Inhibits caspase activity either by preventing the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and/or by binding to the apoptosis-activating factor (APAF-1) (PubMed:11368354). Also acts as an inhibitor of autophagy: interacts with BECN1 and AMBRA1 during non-starvation conditions and inhibits their autophagy function (PubMed:18570871, PubMed:20889974, PubMed:21358617). May attenuate inflammation by impairing NLRP1- inflammasome activation, hence CASP1 activation and IL1B release (PubMed:17418785). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:1508712, ECO:0000269|PubMed:17418785, ECO:0000269|PubMed:18570871, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20889974, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21358617, ECO:0000269|PubMed:8183370, ECO:0000303|PubMed:11368354}.
Each band is a group of drugs. It runs from the kind of drug on the left to the furthest stage that drug has reached in any disease on the right. Thicker bands mean more drugs.
Approved bands are highlighted. Withdrawn means the drug was pulled from the market or from development. A combined phase counts as the later one (Phase 1/2 is shown as Phase 2). Hover a band for the drug names. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.
Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.
Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.
Tractability
- Small molecule
- Approved Drug, Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Ligand, Druggable Family
- Antibody
- UniProt SigP or TMHMM
- PROTAC
- Literature, UniProt Ubiquitination, Database Ubiquitination, Half-life Data, Small Molecule Binder
- Other modalities
- Advanced Clinical
gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.07018700242042542 (upper bound 0.33296000957489014). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.
Who runs trials of these drugs
Principal investigators and study chairs on 400 registry trials, updated in the last three years, of the most advanced drugs against BCL2 (navitoclax, oblimersen, venetoclax, APG-2575, obatoclax), ranked by Phase 2+ trials. Live from ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Courtney DiNardoM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 5 of 5 trials Phase 2+
- Hui WeiBlood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · 4 of 5 trials Phase 2+
- Tapan M KadiaM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 4 of 5 trials Phase 2+
- Farhad Ravandi-KashaniM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 3 of 3 trials Phase 2+
- Guillermo Garcia-ManeroM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 3 of 3 trials Phase 2+Ph3NCT06641414 · Lisaftoclax (APG-2575) Combined With Azacytidine (AZA) in the Treatment of Patients With Higher-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (GLORA-4).brief
- Nicholas ShortM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 3 of 3 trials Phase 2+Ph1/Ph2NCT04140487 · Azacitidine, Venetoclax, and Gilteritinib in Treating Patients With Recurrent/Refractory FLT3-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, or High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome/Myeloproliferative Neoplasmbrief
- Nitin JainM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 3 of 3 trials Phase 2+Ph2NCT02756897 · Venetoclax and Ibrutinib in Treating Patients With Chronic or Small Lymphocytic Leukemiabrief
- Steven LE GOUILLNantes University Hospital · 3 of 3 trials Phase 2+
- Abhishek MaitiM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 2 of 4 trials Phase 2+
- Christopher J MelaniECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group · 2 of 3 trials Phase 2+
- Curtis A LachowiezOHSU Knight Cancer Institute · 2 of 3 trials Phase 2+Ph2NCT07228273 · Induction and Consolidation With Fludarabine, Cytarabine, Idarubicin, and Venetoclax for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemiabrief
- Jianxiang WangChinese Academy of Medical Sciences · 2 of 3 trials Phase 2+
- Alessandra FerrajoliM.D. Anderson Cancer Center · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
- Andrew ZelenetzMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
- Barbara EichhorstUniversitätsklinikum Köln · 2 of 2 trials Phase 2+
Registry trials of navitoclax, oblimersen, venetoclax, APG-2575, obatoclax updated in the last three years, counted by the country group of their listed sites. A trial with sites in several groups counts in each; 294 of 383 have all sites in one country.
Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality. Europe is the EU and EEA, the UK and Switzerland. 17 trials list no sites and are left out. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, fetched live.
147 trials of drugs against BCL2 were stopped early; 9 give no reason
Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of navitoclax, oblimersen, venetoclax, APG-2575, obatoclax, newest update first, live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each reason is quoted exactly as the registry gives it; we do not sort reasons into safety, efficacy or business. Dates are the last registry update. Showing the 25 most recent of 147.
- suspended · 2026-10-20 · City of Hope Medical Center · Venetoclax“Safety Issues, status is being updated per PI due to safety issues. Study is now Temporarily Closed to Accrual.”
- suspended · 2026-10-20 · City of Hope Medical Center · Venetoclax“resources”
- suspended · 2026-10-20 · City of Hope Medical Center · Venetoclax“Accrual goal Met”
- terminated · 2026-10-19 · Sanofi · venetoclax“Early discontinuation based on strategic sponsor decision not driven by any safety concerns”
- terminated · 2026-10-16 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Venetoclax“<75% participation”
- terminated · 2026-10-01 · Bristol-Myers Squibb · Venetoclax“Inability to meet protocol objectives”
- suspended · 2026-10-01 · Institut Paoli-Calmettes · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“Planned interim analyse”
- suspended · 2026-08-25 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · Venetoclax“Other - Pending amendment for study expansion.”
- suspended · 2026-08-24 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · Venetoclax“Drug Supply Issues”
- terminated · 2026-08-24 · University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center · Venetoclax“Interim Analysis per Protocol”
- terminated · 2026-08-20 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Venetoclax“<75% participants”
- withdrawn · 2026-08-05 · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Venetoclax“Lack of funding”
- terminated · 2026-07-13 · Antonio M Jimenez Jimenez · Venetoclax“Funding Sponsor decision due to review of efficacy data from other trials involving investigational product.”
- terminated · 2026-06-10 · Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins · Venetoclax Oral Tablet [Venclexta]“The study sponsor withdrew funding early, forcing this study to stop all activity and close pre-maturely.”
- terminated · 2026-06-05 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Venetoclax“<75% participation”
- terminated · 2026-06-04 · AbbVie · Venetoclax“Strategic considerations”
- terminated · 2026-05-13 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Venetoclax“<75% participation”
- terminated · 2026-04-27 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Venetoclax“< 75% participation”
- terminated · 2026-04-23 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Venetoclax“75% > Participants”
- terminated · 2026-04-02 · Weill Medical College of Cornell University · Venetoclax“Low accrual”
- terminated · 2026-03-30 · Servier Bio-Innovation LLC · Venetoclax“Sponsor decision”
- suspended · 2026-03-19 · Curis, Inc. · Venetoclax“Dosing completed in all cohorts. Planning underway for potential additional patient cohorts.”
- terminated · 2026-03-18 · Nerviano Medical Sciences · matched by the registry's drug synonyms“Study stopped due to strategic reasons. The decision is not based on specific safety findings as the safety observed in the phase II part of the study is in line with what was reported in the phase I part.”
- terminated · 2026-03-18 · Shattuck Labs, Inc. · Venetoclax“Development discontinued”
- terminated · 2026-03-17 · MEI Pharma, Inc. · voruciclib and venetoclax“Business reasons, not related to safety or efficacy results.”
Paediatric incentives and obligations for BCL2's drugs
For navitoclax, oblimersen, venetoclax, APG-2575, obatoclax: what EMA and FDA publish about paediatric plans, orphan status and pediatric approvals, and how many registered studies take children. Each line is a yes, no or not published fact from the record linked under it; none of it is a forecast.
- FDA pediatric target list: no · BCL2 is not on the listRule: Target is on FDA's Pediatric Molecular Target List (relevant targets). Source: FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)), 2026-11-11
- EU paediatric investigation plan: yes · EMA/PE/0000182075 (venetoclax, Treatment of malignant neoplasms of the haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue;Treatment of solid malignant tumours): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 3 Jan 2025; EMEA-000478-PIP02-18 (navitoclax, Treatment of myelofibrosis): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 14 Aug 2018Rule: An EMA PIP decision (agreement, modification or waiver) lists the drug as its active substance, exact name. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- EU orphan designation: yes · EU/3/19/2233 withdrawn 16 Dec 2019: Treatment of myelofibrosis; EU/3/17/1954 withdrawn 12 Dec 2017: Treatment of mantle cell lymphoma; EU/3/16/1766 withdrawn 14 Oct 2016: Treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; EU/3/16/1617 withdrawn 17 Feb 2016: Treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia; +2 moreRule: An EU orphan designation lists the drug as its active substance (exact name) or belongs to a medicine that does; withdrawn and expired designations are listed with their status. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- Authorised in the EU: yes · Venclyxto: authorised since 4 Dec 2016; Genasense: refusedRule: An EMA medicine record lists the drug as its active substance or INN, exact name; national-only authorisations are not in this file. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- FDA orphan designation: not published · FDA's orphan designation database turns away automated requests, so this app does not read it; search it by hand at the linkRule: Would be: an FDA orphan designation names the drug. Source: FDA orphan designations search
- FDA pediatric oncology approval: no · FDA's table lists no pediatric approval of navitoclax, oblimersen, venetoclax, apg-2575, obatoclaxRule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-11
- Registered studies open to children: yes · 122 interventional studies of navitoclax, oblimersen, venetoclax, apg-2575, obatoclax include patients under 18; 89 are recruiting, not yet recruiting or activeRule: The registry's age group includes Child (birth to 17 years), which also counts studies that set no minimum age. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search, 2026-11-11
Rare pediatric disease voucher. FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs
All 7 drugs and clinical candidates as a table
Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.