Trial of 2 Step ATG for Acute GVHD Prevention Post Myeloablative Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant
Phase II Clinical Trial of 2 Step ATG Combined With Tacrolimus and Mini Methotrexate for Prevention of Acute GVHD Post Myeloablative Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years to 60 Years
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study tests tacrolimus, methotrexate, and a new two-step dosing plan for rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) after a donor stem cell transplant. It aims to prevent or reduce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), when donor cells attack the body. It is for adults ages 18–60 with certain blood cancers or bone marrow diseases who can receive strong treatment before transplant.
The purpose of this study is to test whether the combination of the drugs called tacrolimus (Tac), methotrexate (MTX) and new dosing strategy of another drug called (rabbit Anti-thymocyte Globulin \[ATG\]) will help prevent the development and/or improve severity of acute and/or chronic GVHD.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Be 18–60 years old and have a qualifying blood cancer or bone marrow disease: AML, ALL, MDS, CMML, or a chronic myeloproliferative disorder. Each disease has specific rules about risk, treatment response, or worsening disease.
- Have a related or unrelated donor who can give stem cells collected from blood. A sibling must be a 6-of-6 tissue match; an unrelated donor must be an 8-of-8 match.
- Your doctor must decide you can receive strong treatment to prepare for transplant, based on age or a score for other health problems.
- Have a heart pumping score of at least 45% and a kidney filtering rate above 50 mL/minute.
- Have lung test scores of at least 50% and liver tests within study limits. A different bilirubin limit applies to people with Gilbert’s disease, a condition that raises this liver test result.
- Have a daily activity score of at least 80, meaning you can do normal activities with some effort.
- Follow birth control rules from signing consent until 12 months after transplant. Women who can become pregnant must use hormonal birth control plus a partner’s condom, or avoid sex with men. Men with partners who can become pregnant must use barrier birth control or avoid sex with women, even after surgery to prevent pregnancy.
- Be willing and able to sign the consent form and follow study rules.
Who can't join
- Had a transplant using your own stem cells less than 3 months ago, or have ever had a donor stem cell transplant.
- Have remaining active AML with more than 5% immature leukemia cells in the bone marrow, or any in the blood.
- Have uncontrolled chest pain, serious uncontrolled heart rhythms, or a heart tracing showing certain blood-flow or electrical problems.
- Have a known allergy to ATG.
- Received an experimental drug within 14 days before transplant preparation, or joined another study using an experimental product within the past 28 days.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Have HIV or an uncontrolled bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that is worsening despite treatment.
- Had cancer other than a blood cancer within the past 3 years, except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adult male or female, age 18-60 years 2. Patients must have a related or unrelated peripheral blood stem cell donor. Sibling donor must be a 6/6 match for HLA-A and -B at intermediate (or higher) resolution, and -DRB1 at high resolution using DNA-based typing, and must be willing to donate peripheral blood stem cells and meet institutional criteria for donation. Unrelated donor must be 8/8 match at HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 at high resolution using DNA-based typing. Unrelated donor must be willing to donate peripheral blood stem cells and be medically eligible to donate stem cells according to NMDP criteria. 3. A candidate for Myeloablative preparative regimen, based on age ≤ 60, or HCT-CI of ≤ 4, and considered by the treating physician to be a candidate for such regimen. 4. Cardiac function: Ejection fraction ≥ 45% 5. Calculated creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/minute (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula and actual body weight). 6. Pulmonary function: DLCO ≥50% (adjusted for hemoglobin) and FEV1≥50% 7. Liver function: total bilirubin \< 1.5x the upper limit of normal and ALT/AST \< 2.5x the upper normal limit. Patients who have been diagnosed with Gilbert's Disease are allowed to exceed the defined bilirubin value up to \<3mg/dl. 8. Female subjects (unless postmenopausal for at least 1 year before the screening visit, or surgically sterilized), agree to practice two effective methods of contraception (hormonal contraception and male partner to use condom) or agree to complete abstain from heterosexual intercourse from the time of signing the informed consent through 12 months post-transplant. 9. Male subjects (even if surgically sterilized), of partners of women of childbearing potential must agree to practice effective barrier contraception or abstain from heterosexual intercourse from the time of signing the informed consent through 12 months post-transplant. 10. Karnofsky performance status KPS ≥ 80 (Appendix B) 11. Patients must have a diagnosis of one of the following: A-Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in complete remission CR 1 with intermediate or high risk for relapse as defined by ELN 2022 criteria(Dohner et al., 2022) (appendix C), or deemed to be at high risk for relapse by treating physician, based on, therapy related, or extra medullary presentation. B-AML in \>CR1. C-Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with IPSS-M ≥ intermediate-low.(Bernard et al., 2022; Mohty et al., 2022) D- Chronic myeloproliferative disorder (ET, PV, myelofibrosis) with bone marrow blasts \> 5% and/or other evidence of progression to acute leukemia or Int or high-risk disease by MIPPS v2 score.(Ali et al., 2019; Guglielmelli et al., 2018) E- CMML especially those with high-risk features based in: The CMML-specific prognostic scoring system with molecular features (CPSS-Mol) - high risk and intermediate-2 risk, Mayo molecular model - high risk and Intermediate-2 risk, Groupe Francophone des Myélodysplasies (GFM) - high risk and selected patients with intermediate risk.(Elena et al., 2016; Itzykson et al., 2013; Patnaik et al., 2014). F- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in CR1 with high risk for relapse * B-cell ALL: High white blood cell count at diagnosis (ie, \>30,000/µl), Clonalcytogenetic abnormalities - t(4;11), t(1;19), t(9;22), or BCR-ABL gene positivity, BCR-ABL1-like (Ph-like) gene signature, progenitor-B cell immunophenotype (eg, blasts expressing membrane CD19, CD79a, and cytoplasmic CD22, but not CD10), Length of time from start of induction therapy to attainment of CR greater than four weeks, and minimal residual disease (MRD) post-remission bone marrow MRD+.(Akabane \& Logan, 2020; Lafage-Pochitaloff et al., 2017) * T-cell ALL: Failure to achieve CR after one induction, MRD\> 1X 10-4 after 2 courses of induction, Presenting WBC \> 100 X 109/L, complex cytogenetics ≥5,early T-cell Precursor ALL, poor risk genetics including lack of NOTCH1 ith/FBXW7 or presence of N-RAS \& K-RAS, EZH2 and age\>40 years.(Marks \& Rowntree, 2017) G- ALL in \>CR1 12. The subject is willing and able to sign informed consent and abide by the protocol requirements. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant \< 3 months prior to enrollment. 2. Patients with florid residual AML with \> 5% blast in the marrow or circulating blast in the peripheral blood are not eligible for this study. 3. Previous allogeneic stem cell transplant. 4. Uncontrolled angina, severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias, or EKG suggestive of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities. 5. Known hypersensitivity to the study agent (ATG) 6. Received any investigational drugs within the 14 days prior to the first day of transplant conditioning 7. Pregnant and/or breastfeeding 8. Evidence of HIV infection or known HIV positive serology. 9. Current uncontrolled bacterial, viral or fungal infection (currently taking medication with evidence of progression of clinical symptoms or radiologic findings). 10. Non-hematologic malignancy within prior three (3) years, with the exception of squamous cell or basal cell skin carcinoma. 11. Participation in another clinical study with an investigational product during the last 28 days.
Study sites (1)
AL
- University of Alabama at Birmingham · Birmingham, AL 35294Zaid S Al Kadhimi, MD · Principal investigatorManuel Espinoza-Gutarra, MD · Sub-investigatorOmer Jamy, MD · Sub-investigatorDonna Salzman, MD · Sub-investigatorMore trials in Birmingham