The treatment combination of Rituxan® (rituximab) and fludarabine has previously been reported to produce a high percentage of responses with less toxicity than other combination treatments. However, some leukemia subjects continue to have leukemia despite treatment with these standard anticancer drug therapies, or they may work for only a short period of time. In some subjects, when the leukemia does not respond well to therapy the leukemia cells may be over-producing one or more proteins. One of these proteins is called Bcl-2. Bcl-2 is a protein that appears to protect cancer cells from being killed and thus lengthens the life of the cancer cells. Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) is a compound that blocks production of the Bcl-2 protein. By first lowering levels of Bcl-2, it is possible that chemotherapy drugs may work more effectively as a cancer treatment. Genasense® may also directly kill CLL cells. This study will test whether treating subjects with Genasense®, fludarabine and rituximab is safe and effective.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
25
28-day cycles; Cycle 1: oblimersen by continuous IV infusion 1.5 mg/kg/d for 7 consecutive days, completing on Day 8; rituximab by IV infusion on Day 4 (125 mg/m2) and Day 6 (250 mg/m2); fludarabine 25 mg/m2 by IV infusion for 3 days, starting on Day 6. Subsequent cycles: oblimersen 3 mg/kg/d, completing on Day 8; rituximab 375 mg/m2 on Day 5; fludarabine 25 mg/m2 for 3 days starting the same day as rituximab
Georgetown University Medical Center/Lombardi Cancer Center
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo, New York, United States
Long Island Jewish Medical Center
New Hyde Park, New York, United States
Safety and complete response rate
Time frame: Monthly for response
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