High-dose Ascorbate (HDA) in Combination With Standard of Care Azacitidine and Venetoclax in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
High-dose Ascorbate (HDA) in Combination With Azacitidine and Venetoclax (Aza/Ven) in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
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 75 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
- Procedures mentioned: Infusions
Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.
Show the study's own words
- "The purpose of this research study is to see if adding high dose ascorbate (vitamin c) intravenous infusion (IV) to the standard treatment regimen for AML (azacitidine/venetoclax or decitabine/venetoclax) is safe, and also to see if the addition of high dose ascorbate enhances the anti-AML impact of the azacitidine given with standard care."
- 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 high-dose vitamin C (ascorbate) with the usual AML drugs, azacitidine and venetoclax. It will check how safe the treatment is and how well it works. It is for adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer, who cannot safely receive intensive chemotherapy.
This is a randomized, open-label, Phase I clinical study with expansion. It will assess the safety and efficacy of high-dose ascorbate administered concomitantly with azacitidine and venetoclax in newly diagnosed AML.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- You must be 18 or older and unable to safely receive intensive chemotherapy because you are 75 or older, have limits on daily activity, or have certain health problems.
- You must have newly diagnosed AML, but not the type called acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Your liver and blood-clotting tests must meet study limits.
- If you had myelodysplasia (MDS), a bone marrow disease, you must not have had chemotherapy or drugs such as azacitidine or decitabine for it. The study doctor may allow some other past research drugs.
- If your AML developed after treatment for another cancer, you must not have received drugs such as azacitidine, decitabine, or venetoclax.
- If your white blood cell count is above 25,000, you must receive medicine to lower it before starting venetoclax.
- If you can become pregnant, you must have a negative pregnancy test. Participants who can have children must agree to use birth control through 6 months after the last study dose.
- You must understand the study and agree to sign a consent form.
- You may join if AML affects your brain or spinal cord, or you are at high risk for this. Treatment into the fluid around the brain and spinal cord is allowed.
Who can't join
- You have already had AML treatment, except hydroxyurea or a limited dose of cytarabine to lower a very high white blood cell count.
- You are allergic to vitamin C, azacitidine, decitabine, or venetoclax, or have G6PD deficiency, a condition that can cause red blood cells to break down.
- Your AML has certain gene changes: RUNX1::RUNX1T1, CBFB::MYH11, a bZIP in-frame CEBPA mutation without adverse mutations, a KMT2A rearrangement, or mutations in NPM1, IDH1, IDH2, FLT3-ITD, or FLT3-TKD. The study team can check your results.
- You need kidney dialysis, have kidney damage from diabetes, have had a kidney transplant, or have had kidney damage from oxalate buildup.
- You have inherited iron overload or iron overload from blood transfusions, with ferritin levels staying above 1,000 ng/mL.
- You have diabetes treated with short-acting insulin and need finger-stick blood sugar checks at least once a day.
- You have another cancer that could affect study safety or results, another major health problem the doctor finds unsuitable, or HIV that is not controlled with treatment.
- You take warfarin or certain medicines that strongly affect how the body handles drugs, and you cannot or will not switch medicines.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged ≥ 18 who are deemed unfit for intensive chemotherapy by meeting at least one of the following criteria: * age ≥ 75 * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance of 2-3 * Severe cardiac disorder (e.g., congestive heart failure requiring treatment, ejection fraction ≤ 50%, or chronic stable angina) * Severe pulmonary disorder (e.g., DLCO ≤ 65% or FEV1 ≤ 65%) * Calculated Creatinine clearance 25 - 45 mL/min using the Cockcroft-Gault formula * Hepatic disorder with total bilirubin \> 1.5 times the upper limit of normal * Any other comorbidity that the investigators determine to be incompatible with intensive chemotherapy * Newly diagnosed (non-APL) acute myeloid leukemia except those with cytogenetic/molecular abnormalities in the exclusion criteria * Participants must have adequate organ function, defined as: * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST/SGOT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT/SGPT) ≤ 3.0 x upper limit of normal (ULN) * International normalized ratio (INR) \< 1.5 x ULN and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) \< 1.5 x ULN (patient could be eligible if they respond appropriately to correction with FFP or cryoprecipitate) * Patients with a history of antecedent myelodysplasia (MDS) are eligible if they have not had prior chemotherapy/hypomethylating agent (e.g., azacitidine or decitabine). Prior exposure to other investigational agents could be considered at PI's discretion * Patients who have developed therapy-related AML after prior radiation or chemotherapy for other malignancy(ies) are eligible if they have not been exposed to hypomethylating agent (e.g., azacitidine or decitabine) and/or venetoclax * Patients presenting with marked leukocytosis (WBC \> 25 k/mm3) should receive cytoreduction with hydroxyurea or cytarabine dose ≤ 1 g/m2 to mitigate the risk of tumor lysis syndrome before initiation of therapy with venetoclax * For female participants of childbearing potential, a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (sensitivity of at least 25 mIU/mL) at screening * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. * Both male and female participants of childbearing potential agree to use an adequate method of contraception from screening through 6 months after the last dose of study treatment. * Patients with evidence of Central Nervous System (CNS) disease involvement or who are at high risk of developing CNS disease at baseline/screening (defined as: presenting WBC \> 200k/mm3, or monocytic differentiation or active CSN symptoms concerning CNS involvement per the treating physician) are eligible for this trial and may continue to receive or initiate intrathecal chemotherapy as treatment or prophylaxis, respectively, per institutional practice Exclusion Criteria * Patients who have received prior therapy to treat their AML (except for cytoreductive hydroxyurea or cytarabine dose ≤ 1 g/m2 for hyperleukocytosis) * Known hypersensitivity or allergy to ascorbate, azacitidine/decitabine, or venetoclax * AML patients with the following cytogenetic/molecular aberrations are not eligible i. t(8;21)(q22;q22.1)/RUNX1::RUNX1T1 ii. inv(16)(p13.1q22) or t(16;16)(p13.1;q22)/ CBFB::MYH11 iii. bZIP in-frame mutated CEBPA without any adverse mutations iv. KMT2A rearrangement v. NPM1 or IDH1 or IDH2 or FLT3-ITD or FLT3-TKD mutation * Patients with kidney disease needing dialysis, diabetic nephropathy, renal transplant recipients, and those with history of acute or chronic oxalate nephropathy * Patients with primary hemochromatosis or transfusional iron overload as defined as persistently elevated Ferritin \> 1000 ng/mL. * Patients with type I or type II diabetes mellitus on treatment with short acting insulin who need at least a daily blood glucose monitoring test via finger stick * Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen * Other major co-morbidities as determined unsuitable per the treating physician * HIV-infection that is uncontrolled by anti-retroviral therapy. (HIV-infected patients on effective anti- retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this study) * Patients with G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency * Patients who are on warfarin or other strong CYP3A4 inducer/inhibitor and cannot have a drug substitution or who decline the drug substitution
Study sites (1)
IA
- University of Iowa Health Care · Iowa City, IA 52242Kittika Poonsombudlert, MD · Study contact · +1 319 356 1770 · kittika-poonsombudlert@uiowa.eduKittika Poonsombudlert · Study contact · +1 319 356 1770 · kittika-poonsombudlert@uiowa.eduMore trials in Iowa City