A Phase II Study of Cladribine and Low Dose Cytarabine in Combination With Venetoclax, Alternating With Azacitidine and Venetoclax, in Patients With Higher-risk Myeloproliferative Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia or Higher-risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes With Excess Blasts

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age >/= 18 years.

2. Diagnosis of MDS or CMML by WHO and:

• MDS relapsed cohort (Cohort A): MDS with Int-2 or High risk IPSS and >5% blastswith no response after 6 cycles of azacitidine, decitabine, guadecitabine,CC-486 or ASTX727 (decitabine/cedazuridine) or relapse or progression after anynumber of cycles

• CMML relapsed cohort (Cohort B): CMML 1 or 2 with no response after 6 cycles ofazacitidine, decitabine, guadecitabine, CC-486 or ASTX727 (decitabine/cedazuridine) or relapse or progression after any number of cycles

• MDS HMA-naïve cohort (Cohort C): MDS with Int-2 or High risk by IPSS and >10%blasts OR diagnosis

• CMML HMA-naïve cohort (Cohort D): CMML-2; OR CMML-1 with at least one of thefollowing high-risk features: extramedullary disease, splenomegaly of >5cmbelow costal margin, platelets <100x109/L, Hgb level <10g/dL, WBC >13x109/L,clonal cytogenetic abnormality (other than monosomy Y).

3. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of </= 2

4. Creatinine clearance > 30 ml/min no end/stage renal disease (using Cockcroft-Gault)

5. Adequate hepatic function with total bilirubin 2x ULN, AST or ALT 2.5 xULN unlessdeemed to be due to underlying disease involvement.

6. Willing to adhere to and comply with all prohibitions and restrictions specified inthe protocol.

7. Patient must have signed an informed consent document indicating that the patientunderstands the purpose of and procedures required for the study and is willing toparticipate in the study.

8. White blood cell (WBC) count <50,000/L. Hydroxyurea may be used to controlleukocytosis prior to C1D1. Use of hydroxyurea beyond this point may be permitted asclinically indicated, on a case-by-case basis and after discussion with the PI.

9. English and Non-English speaking patients will be allowed

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Uncontrolled infection not adequately responding to appropriate antibiotics

2. New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV congestive heart failure or LVEF <50% by echocardiogram or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan.

3. History of myocardial infarction within the last 6 months or unstable/uncontrolledangina pectoris or history of severe and/or uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias.

4. Female patients who are pregnant or lactating.

5. Patients with reproductive potential who are unwilling to following contraceptionrequirements (including condom use for males with sexual partners, and for females:prescription oral contraceptives [birth control pills], contraceptive injections,intrauterine devices [IUD], double-barrier method [spermidical jelly or foam withcondoms or diaphragm], contraceptive patch, or surgical sterilization) throughoutthe study.

6. Female patients with reproductive potential who do not have a negative urine orblood beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta HCG) pregnancy test at screening.

7. Patients receiving any other concurrent investigational agent or chemotherapy,radiotherapy, or immunotherapy.