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Myelodysplastic SyndromesPhase 2NCT00217594

A Pilot Study of Alemtuzumab (Campath[R]) in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

A Phase 2 study testing Alemtuzumab (Campath) in people with Myelodysplastic Syndromes, run by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a genetically engineered antibody, alemtuzumab (Campath[R]) on patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. MDS is made up of malignant stem cell disorders that can mean low levels of red blood cells-that is, anemia-and low counts of white blood cells and platelets. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 72 years
Conditions the study is for
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
What is being tested?
Alemtuzumab (Campath)
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
40 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
21 Jul 2005to 6 Feb 2017
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 72 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • MDS with WHO classification of RA, RARS, RCMD-RS, RCUD, and RCMD and RAEB-1 (all subtypes of MDS with the exception of RAEB 2, CMML, and MDS/MPN overlap)
  • Anemia requiring transfusion support with at least one unit of packed red blood cells per month for greater than or equal to 2 months
  • OR
  • Anemia (hemoglobin less than 9 or a reticulocyte count less than 60,000)
  • OR
  • thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 50000/ul)
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  • OR
  • neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count less than 500/ul).
  • Off all other treatments for MDS (except filgrastim (G-CSF), erythropoietin, and transfusion support and related medications) for at least four weeks. Filgrastim (G-CSF) can be used before, during and after the protocol treatment for patients with documented neutropenia (less than 500/Ul) as long as they meet the criteria for anemia and/or thrombocytopenia as stated above.
  • Ages 18-72 (inclusive)

Who cannot join

  • Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), MDS/MPN overlap, WHO RAEB-2
  • Secondary MDS
  • Failure to respond to prior therapy with ATG or ATG/CsA
  • Prior therapy with combination chemotherapy
  • Transformation to acute leukemia (FAB sub-group RAEB-T, i.e., greater than 20% blasts in marrow aspirate)
  • Failure to discontinue the herbal supplements Echinacea purpurea or Usnea barbata (Old Man's Beard) within 2 weeks of enrollment.
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  • Active infection not adequately responding to appropriate therapy
  • HIV positive patients
  • Active malignant disease (excluding non-melanoma skin carcinoma)
  • Moribund status or concurrent hepatic, renal, cardiac, neurologic, pulmonary, infectious, or metabolic disease of such severity that it would preclude the patient's ability to tolerate protocol therapy or that death within 7-10 days is likely.
  • Life expectancy less than 6 months
  • Low predicted probability of response
  • Previous hypersensitivity to alemtuzumab (Campath[R]) or its components
  • Current pregnancy, or unwilling to take oral contraceptives or refrain from pregnancy if of childbearing potential
  • Not able to understand the investigational nature of the study or give informed consent

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Pilot Study of Alemtuzumab (Campath[R]) in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a genetically engineered antibody, alemtuzumab (Campath[R]) on patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. MDS is made up of malignant stem cell disorders that can mean low levels of red blood cells-that is, anemia-and low counts of white blood cells and platelets. Patients with MDS are at risk for infection, spontaneous bleeding, and possible progression to leukemia, a cancer of bone marrow. Although bone marrow can produce some blood cells, patients with MDS experience a decrease in production of blood cells. Alemtuzumab recognizes specific types of white cells called lymphocytes and destroys them. This study will examine not only the usefulness of the medication but also the side effects in patients with MDS.

Patients ages 18 to 72 who have MDS that requires transfusions and who do not have HIV or a life expectancy of less than 6 months may be eligible for this study. Screening tests include a complete physical examination and medical history. There will be a collection of about 8 tablespoons of blood for analysis of blood counts as well as liver, kidney, and thyroid function; a pregnancy test; an electrocardiogram (EKG) to measure electrical activity of the heartbeat; an echocardiogram (ECHO), which uses sound waves to evaluate heart function; wearing of a Holter monitor for 24 hours while the electrical activity of the heart is recorded; and a bone marrow biopsy. Patients should not receive any vaccines when taking alemtuzumab or for at least 12 months after the last dose. In addition, patients should not take the herbal supplements Echinacea purpurea or Usnea 2 weeks before beginning the study and during it.

Read more

For the study, all patients will receive a test dose of 1 mg of alemtuzumab infused into a vein during the course of 1 hour. If the dose is tolerated, the medication will be given at 10 mg doses into the vein for 10 days, as an infusion of 2 hours. Blood samples of 2 tablespoons will be taken daily, and vital signs will be measured daily. The ECHO and 24-hour Holter monitoring will be repeated after patients receive the last dose of the medication. Because suppression of the immune system results from a decrease in white cells that fight infections, patients will take medications to protect them against infections and to treat them if infections occur. If needed, patients will receive blood transfusions for their MDS. Side effects of alemtuzumab involve a temporarily significant lowering of the number of red blood cells, white cells, and platelets. Side effects of the infusion can be rigidity, or stiffness, and fever, as well as risks of infections resulting from the decrease of white blood cells. Blood counts and reactions to all procedures will be carefully monitored throughout the study. After patients receive the last dose of alemtuzumab, they will have follow-up by their referring doctor or at NIH. They must be able to return to NIH after 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and annually for 5 years after the study. At follow-up visits, there will be blood tests to reevaluate blood counts and test for the presence of viruses. Blood tests will be done weekly for the first 3 months after patients have completed taking alemtuzumab, every other week until 6 months, and then annually for 5 years. There will also be a repeat ECHO at the 3-month visit, and a repeat bone marrow biopsy at the 5-month and 12-month follow-up visits, and as needed after that.

This study may or may not have a direct benefit for participants. For some, the antibody may improve blood counts and decrease the need for transfusions. Knowledge gained in the study may help people in the future.

Read the detailed description

Many bone marrow failure syndromes in humans are now recognized to result from immunological mechanisms. These diseases include aplastic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, and some types of myelodysplasia. Patients with these conditions, who may suffer variable degrees of anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia, alone or in combination, have been shown to respond to a wide variety of immunosuppressive agents, ranging from corticosteroids to cyclosporine (CsA) and horse antithymocyte globulin (h-ATG). However, non-response and relapse continues to be a problem. Why some patients do not respond initially or others respond and then relapse is unclear. Autoreactive T cells may be resistant to the effect of h-ATG/CsA (non-responders), while in others, residual autoreactive T cells expand post-treatment leading to hematopoietic stem cell destruction and recurrent pancytopenia (relapse). Therefore, novel, less toxic immunosuppressive regimens that increase response rates and hematologic recovery and decrease relapse rates are needed.

One such novel therapy, alemtuzumab (Campath[R]) is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody directed against the CD52 protein, which is highly expressed on all lymphoid cells and monocytes. Alemtuzumab (Campath[R]), produces profound and persistent lymphopenia, affecting predominantly the CD4+ T cell subset. This property has made it attractive in the treatment of a wide range of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, ocular inflammatory disease, lymphoid malignancies, organ allograft rejection, and in conditioning regimens in stem cell transplantation to prevent graft failure and graft-versus-host disease.

We therefore propose a non-randomized, off label, pilot, Phase I/II study of alemtuzumab (Campath) in MDS patients who are likely to respond to immunosuppression.

Primary endpoints will be changes in peripheral blood counts (platelets, absolute neutrophil count, reticulocyte count, hemoglobin). Secondary endpoints (in transfusion-dependent patients) include improvement in the transfusion requirements (measured as decrease in the number of transfusion administered on as needed basis), duration of response, late effects of treatment, relapse and survival.

Being tested
Alemtuzumab (Campath)
Keywords
Immunosuppression, T Cells, Hematopoiesis, Anti-CD52, Monoclonal Antibody Therapy
Medical subject headings
Myelodysplastic Syndromes

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Alemtuzumab (Campath)Drug

Study groups in NCT00217594
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
AlemtuzumabExperimentalPatients received a 1-mg test dose of alemtuzumab, and the following day, alemtuzumab was administered at 10 mg/dose intravenously for 10 days
Receives: Drug: Alemtuzumab (Campath)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Response to Treatment - Hematologic Improvement or Complete Response

    Response to treatment at 3 months after the first dose of alemtuzumab. The parameters for hematologic improvement (HI) and complete response (CR) were defined according to the International Working Group (IWG) criteria. The IWG criteria for HI define specific responses of cytopenias in the 3 hematopoietic lineages: erythroid (HI-E), platelet (HI-P), and neutrophil (HI-N).7 The HIs are measured in patients with pretreatment abnormal values: hemoglobin level less than 110 g/L (11 g/dL) or RBC-transfusion dependence, platelet count less than 100 × 109/L or platelet-transfusion dependence, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1.0 × 109/L.

    The parameters for CR include less than 5% marrow blasts without evidence of dysplasia and normalization of peripheral blood counts, including a hemoglobin level of 110 g/L (11 g/dL) or more (in patients not receiving erythropoietin or transfusions), a neutrophil count of 1.5 × 109/L or more, and a platelet count of 100 × 109/L.

    Measured: 3 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted22 Sep 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study start21 Jul 2005
  3. Primary completion6 Feb 2017
  4. Study completion6 Feb 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
40 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00217594
Sponsor's protocol ID
050206
Other IDs
05-H-0206
Status last verified
17 Oct 2017
First submitted
20 Sep 2005
Last updated
30 Oct 2018
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Nydegger UE. Suppressive and substitutive immunotherapy: an essay with a review of recent literature. Immunol Lett. 1985;9(4):185-90. doi: 10.1016/0165-2478(85)90031-8. No abstract available.

    PubMed 3888832
  • Tichelli A, Gratwohl A, Wuersch A, Nissen C, Speck B. Antilymphocyte globulin for myelodysplastic syndrome. Br J Haematol. 1988 Jan;68(1):139-40. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1988.tb04194.x. No abstract available.

    PubMed 3345291
  • Biesma DH, van den Tweel JG, Verdonck LF. Immunosuppressive therapy for hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome. Cancer. 1997 Apr 15;79(8):1548-51. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970415)79:83.0.co;2-y.

    PubMed 9118037
  • Sloand EM, Olnes MJ, Shenoy A, Weinstein B, Boss C, Loeliger K, Wu CO, More K, Barrett AJ, Scheinberg P, Young NS. Alemtuzumab treatment of intermediate-1 myelodysplasia patients is associated with sustained improvement in blood counts and cytogenetic remissions. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Dec 10;28(35):5166-73. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.29.7010. Epub 2010 Nov 1.

    PubMed 21041705
  • Giudice V, Banaszak LG, Gutierrez-Rodrigues F, Kajigaya S, Panjwani R, Ibanez MDPF, Rios O, Bleck CK, Stempinski ES, Raffo DQ, Townsley DM, Young NS. Circulating exosomal microRNAs in acquired aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Haematologica. 2018 Jul;103(7):1150-1159. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2017.182824. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

    PubMed 29674506
  • Hosokawa K, Kajigaya S, Feng X, Desierto MJ, Fernandez Ibanez MD, Rios O, Weinstein B, Scheinberg P, Townsley DM, Young NS. A plasma microRNA signature as a biomarker for acquired aplastic anemia. Haematologica. 2017 Jan;102(1):69-78. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2016.151076. Epub 2016 Sep 22.

    PubMed 27658437

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Alemtuzumab (Campath) in people with Myelodysplastic Syndromes, run by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 15 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Oct 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 24 Sep 2018). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Response to Treatment - Hematologic Improvement or Complete Response (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00217594, which also lists 6 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Oct 2018.

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