Addition of Cord Blood Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft Versus Host Disease

Early Phase 1RecruitingNCT04744116

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center24 enrolled

Overview

This early phase I trial is to find out the effect of adding cord blood tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (cb-MSCs) to ruxolitinib in treating patients with acute graft versus host disease that does not respond to steroid therapy (steroid-refractory). Ruxolitinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. cb-MSCs are a type of tissue helper cell that can be removed from donated umbilical cord blood tissue and grown into many different cell types that can be used to treat cancer and other disease, such as graft versus host disease. This trial aims to learn if adding cb-MSCs to ruxolitinib may help control steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To estimate between-arm differences (Arm 3 versus \[vs\] Arm 1, and Arm 2 vs Arm 1) for each of the 28-day co-primary outcome probabilities. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 arms. ARM 1: Patients receive ruxolitinib orally (PO) twice daily (BID) for at least 3 days and may consider tapering after 6 months of therapy if response occurs and therapeutic corticosteroid doses have been discontinued. ARM 2: Patients receive ruxolitinib PO BID as in Arm 1. Patients also receive lower dose of cb-MSCs intravenously (IV) for up to 60 minutes twice weekly (at least 3 days apart) over 4 consecutive weeks for 8 total doses. ARM 3: Patients receive ruxolitinib PO BID as in Arm 1. Patients also receive higher dose of cb-MSCs IV for up to 60 minutes twice weekly (at least 3 days apart) over 4 consecutive weeks for 8 total doses. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up on day 28 and then for up to 6 months.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 12 YearsMax age: 80 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants between the ages of 12 years and 80 years (inclusive). 2. Steroid refractory grades II-IV acute GVHD of the Lower GI tract or Liver (including those developing these manifestations after previous acute GVHD of skin) secondary to allogeneic HCT or donor lymphocyte infusion. (Grading, see Appendix I) GVHD with: No improvement after treatment with methylprednisolone at ≥ 2.0 mg/kg/day or equivalent for minimum 7 days, or progressive symptoms after minimum 3 days, or a flare in acute GVHD while on systemic steroids. Participants must have had a biopsy that suggests GVHD; a repeat biopsy to enroll on the study is not necessary. 3. Karnofsky/Lansky Performance score of at least 30 at the time of study entry. 4. Participants who are women of childbearing potential, must be non-pregnant, not breast-feeding, and use adequate contraception. Male patients must use adequate contraception 5. Participants (or legal representative where appropriate) must be capable of providing written informed consent, and assent if indicated. Exclusion Criteria: 1. De novo chronic GVHD 2. Isolated acute GVHD of skin 3. Secondary systemic therapy for acute GVHD ruxolitinib greater than 96 hours before initiation of therapy. 4. Primary treatment with agents other than alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) glucocorticoids and ruxolitinib. 5. Participants with uncontrolled infections will be excluded. Infections are considered controlled if appropriate therapy has been instituted and, at the time of enrollment, no signs of progression are present. Progression of infection is defined as hemodynamic instability attributable to sepsis, new symptoms, worsening physical signs or radiographic findings attributable to infection. Persisting fever without other signs or symptoms will not be interpreted as progressing infection. 6. Adult and pediatric patients with cognitive impairments and/or any serious unstable pre-existing medical condition or psychiatric disorder that can interfere with safety or with obtaining informed consent or compliance with study procedures. 7. Participants with significant supplemental oxygen requirement defined as \>6 L oxygen by nasal cannula. 8. Participants with known allergy to bovine or porcine products.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Death from any cause

Time frame: Within 28 days from the start of active study treatment

Response

Will compare the patient's 28-day graft versus host disease (GVHD) status to the patient's baseline GVHD status when steroid refractory acute GVHD was diagnosed.

Time frame: At day 28 from start of therapy on study

Incidence of adverse events

Time frame: Within 28 days from the start of active study treatment

Secondary Outcomes

Graft versus host disease status

Will assess complete response (CR), very good partial response (VGPR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD).

Time frame: At days 7, 14, 21 and 28 post treatment

Proportion of response

Will assess proportion of patients with CR, PR, VGPR, and no-response (NR). The event NR is defined as stable disease, mixed response, disease progression, OR initiation of additional systemic (second-line) GVHD therapies.

Time frame: At days 7, 14, 21 and 28 post treatment

Time to complete response

Will be estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier.

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Time to very good partial response

Will be estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier.

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Time to partial response

Will be estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier.

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Incidence of complete response for each organ

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Incidence of very good partial response for each organ

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Incidence of partial response for each organ

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Durability of organ response

Time frame: Up to 6 months

Cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality (NRM)

Time frame: At 6 months post treatment

Cumulative incidence of relapse/progression of the primary disease

Time frame: At 6 months

Overall survival

Time frame: From enrollment to death from any cause, assessed at 6 months

Disease-free survival

Time frame: From enrollment to death from any cause or relapse/progression of the primary disease, assessed at 6 months

Graft versus host disease-free survival

Patients alive, free of active acute or chronic GVHD, and without other systemic agents (or escalation of steroids to \>= 2.5 mg/kg/day of prednisone \[or methylprednisolone equivalent of 2 mg/kg/day\]) added for treatment of GVHD will be considered successes for this endpoint

Time frame: At 6 months

Incidence of chronic graft versus host disease

Chronic GVHD is defined per National Institutes of Health Consensus Criteria. Diagnosis of chronic GVHD of any severity (mild, moderate, or severe) is considered an event for this endpoint. Organ involvement and maximum severity will also be described at six months.

Time frame: At 6 months after first mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) infusion

Incidence of systemic infections

The incidence of grade 2 to 3 systemic infections occurring from study treatment until 28 days after last study drug will be described using standard Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) criteria. Infections will be recorded by site of disease, date of onset, and severity.

Time frame: 28 days after last study drug

Incidence of toxicities

The incidence of grade 3-5 treatment-emergent adverse events (per CTCAE version 5.0) that occur through 28 days after completing last MSC infusion study drug will be described.

Time frame: Up to 28 days after completing last MSC infusion study drug

Incidence of any grade cytokine release

Time frame: Up to 28 days after completing last MSC infusion study drug

Incidence of any infusional toxicity

Time frame: Within 24 hours of each cord blood-MSC infusion

Addition of Cord Blood Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft Versus Host Disease

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

Central Contacts