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Pilot Trial of Sirolimus/MEC in High Risk Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)

A Pilot, Pharmacodynamic Correlate, Multi-Institutional Trial of Sirolimus in Combination With Chemotherapy (Mitoxantrone, Etoposide, Cytarabine) for the Treatment of High Risk, Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01184898
Enrollment
36
Registered
2010-08-19
Start date
2010-07-31
Completion date
2016-02-29
Last updated
2025-05-31

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

AML

Keywords

AML, mTOR, rapamycin

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the addition of Sirolimus (rapamycin) to standard chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with high risk acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Cancer cells taken from the patients will be studied in the laboratory to see if rapamycin is affecting the mTOR pathway in the cells and if this effect is correlated with how well patients respond to the therapy.

Detailed description

Recent improvements in our understanding of leukemia biology have led to the introduction of highly effective, molecularly targeted therapies. This is exemplified by the development of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib as monotherapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and in combination with chemotherapy for BCR-ABL+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Imatinib mesylate blocks the protein made by the BCR-ABL oncogene. The PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases) signaling is critical to leukemia cell survival and can be targeted. Growth and survival stimulating signal transduction pathways are abnormally and universally activated in AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). This signal cascade is thought to contribute to survival and growth in tumor cells via downstream effects upon target proteins AKT/Protein kinase B and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) a protein that helps control several cell functions. In AML, we and others have shown that PI3K signaling is constitutively activated in over 85% of primary samples and that the small molecule PI3K inhibitor LY294002 is cytotoxic in vitro to virtually all samples tested. As LY294002 is poorly suited for drug development, we have concentrated upon other ways to inhibit signal transduction through this pathway. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) emerged as a reasonable target due to the availability of clinically available, highly specific inhibitors with favorable safety profiles. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a central but complex role in cancer cells' metabolic regulation and survival. This serine/threonine kinase coordinates several important cellular functions and its activity is modulated in response to amino acid, glucose, oxygen, and ATP availability as well as extracellular growth factor ligation. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity regulates protein translation, nutrient and amino acid uptake, mitochondrial respiration, glycolysis, cell size regulation, cell cycle entry and progression, ribosome biogenesis, and autophagy. Constitutive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation is commonly seen in cancer cells and is thought to promote survival in the setting of a wide variety of cellular insults. Importantly, mTOR opening may cause chemotherapy resistance. Although regulation of mTOR signaling in leukemia occurs through by several inputs, mTOR activity in AML is thought to be primarily regulated by PI3K signaling through AKT via the agent tumor suppressor tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1& 2) and its target rheb GTPase. Taken together, mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR is a smart target for molecularly targeted therapy in AML due to its importance in the growth and survival of AML cells, its necessity for AML cell survival in certain contexts, and its probable role in chemotherapy resistance and relapse.

Interventions

DRUGSirolimus

Sirolimus, by mouth, will be given as a 12mg loading dose followed by 8 daily doses of 4mg/day.

DRUGMitoxantrone

Mitoxantrone 8mg/m2/day IV

DRUGEtoposide

100 mg/m2/day IV

DRUGCytarabine

1000mg/m2/day IV every 24 hours for 5 days

Sponsors

University of Pennsylvania
CollaboratorOTHER
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients must have histologic evidence of high risk acute myeloid leukemia defined as one of the following: 1. Primary refractory non-M3 AML (i) Residual leukemia after a minimum of 2 prior courses of chemotherapy (Same or different) (ii) Evidence of leukemia after a nadir bone marrow biopsy demonstrates no evidence of residual leukemia. 2. Relapsed non-M3 AML 3. Any non-M3 AML age \>60 with no evidence of favorable karyotype (stratum 2 ONLY), defined by presence of t(8;21)(q22;q22) \[AML1-ETO\], inv16(p13;q22), or t(16;16)(p13;q22) \[CBF;MYH11\] by cytogenetics, FISH, or RT-PCR 4. Secondary AML (from antecedent hematologic malignancy or following therapy with radiation or chemotherapy for another disease) with no evidence of favorable karyotype (stratum 2 ONLY), defined by presence of t(8;21)(q22;q22) \[AML1-ETO\], inv16(p13;q22), or t(16;16)(p13;q22) \[CBF;MYH11\] by cytogenetics, FISH, or RT-PCR * Age \> or = 18 * ECOG = 0 or 1

Exclusion criteria

* Subjects with FAB M3 (t(15;17)(q22;q21)\[PML-RAR\]) are not eligible * Subjects taking the following are not eligible: * Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) * Rifabutin (e.g., Mycobutin) or * Rifampin (e.g., Rifadin) * Rifapentine (e.g., Priftin) * St. John's wort * Clarithromycin (e.g., Biaxin) * Cyclosporine (e.g. Neoral or Sandimmune) * Diltiazem (e.g., Cardizem) * Erythromycin (e.g., Akne-Mycin, Ery-Tab) * Itraconazole (e.g., Sporanox) * Ketoconazole (e.g., Nizoral) * Telithromycin (e.g., Ketek) * Verapamil (e.g., Calan SR, Isoptin, Verelan) * Voriconazole (e.g., VFEND) * Tacrolimus (e.g. Prograf) * Subjects taking fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and ketoconazole within 72 hours of study entry are not eligible. Reinstitution of fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, ketoconazole and diltiazem is permissible 72 hours after the last dose of sirolimus. * Subjects must not be receiving any chemotherapy agents (except Hydroxyurea). Intrathecal methotrexate and cytarabine are permissible * Subjects must not be receiving growth factors, except for erythropoietin

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Association Between the Magnitude of mTOR Target Inhibition Post-treatment in Leukemic Blasts and Clinical Response in Patients With High Risk AML Treated With Sirolimus MECFrom pre- to post-treatmentPercent change compared between response groups (responder vs nonresponder). This outcome measure only includes patients who survived to outcome assessment.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Complete ResponseWithin one week of peripheral count recovery but no later than day 42Complete response is defined as: * Peripheral Blood Counts -Neutrophil count \>1 x 109/L. * Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L. * Reduced hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit has no bearing on remission status. * Leukemic blasts must not be present in the peripheral blood. * Cellularity of bone marrow biopsy must be \> 20% with maturation of all cell lines with \< 5% blasts and no Auer rods. * Extramedullary leukemia, such as CNS or soft tissue involvement, must not be present
Complete Response in the Absence of Platelet RecoveryWithin one week of peripheral count recovery but no later than day 42Complete response in the absence of platelet recovery is defined as: \- Bone marrow (\<5% blasts) with adequate bone marrow cellularity, no evidence of circulating blasts or extramedullary disease and normalization of peripheral blood counts except for platelets (neutrophil count =1,000/µL)
Partial ResponseWithin one week of peripheral count recovery but no later than day 42Partial response is defined as: * Requires that all of the criteria for complete remission be satisfied except that the bone marrow may contain ≥ 5% blasts but \< 25% blasts. * A marrow with \<5% blasts that contain Auer rods will also be considered a PR

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Sirolimus and MEC
Sirolimus and MEC (Mitoxantrone, Etoposide, and Cytarabine) Sirolimus: Sirolimus, by mouth, will be given as a 12mg loading dose followed by 8 daily doses of 4mg/day. MEC (Mitoxantrone, Etoposide, and Cytarabine): MEC (Mitoxantrone 8mg/m2/day IV, Etoposide 100mg/m2/day IV and Cytarabine 1000mg/ m2/day IV every 24 hours for 5 days) will be administered after sirolimus loading dose and 3 daily doses.
36
Total36

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicSirolimus and MEC
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
12 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
24 Participants
Age, Continuous60.05 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.84
Region of Enrollment
United States
36 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
16 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
20 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
36 / 36
serious
Total, serious adverse events
8 / 36

Outcome results

Primary

Association Between the Magnitude of mTOR Target Inhibition Post-treatment in Leukemic Blasts and Clinical Response in Patients With High Risk AML Treated With Sirolimus MEC

Percent change compared between response groups (responder vs nonresponder). This outcome measure only includes patients who survived to outcome assessment.

Time frame: From pre- to post-treatment

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)
Sirolimus and MECAssociation Between the Magnitude of mTOR Target Inhibition Post-treatment in Leukemic Blasts and Clinical Response in Patients With High Risk AML Treated With Sirolimus MECResponders (17 pts)69 percentage change in leukemic blasts
Sirolimus and MECAssociation Between the Magnitude of mTOR Target Inhibition Post-treatment in Leukemic Blasts and Clinical Response in Patients With High Risk AML Treated With Sirolimus MECNonresponders (10 pts)-36 percentage change in leukemic blasts
Secondary

Complete Response

Complete response is defined as: * Peripheral Blood Counts -Neutrophil count \>1 x 109/L. * Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L. * Reduced hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit has no bearing on remission status. * Leukemic blasts must not be present in the peripheral blood. * Cellularity of bone marrow biopsy must be \> 20% with maturation of all cell lines with \< 5% blasts and no Auer rods. * Extramedullary leukemia, such as CNS or soft tissue involvement, must not be present

Time frame: Within one week of peripheral count recovery but no later than day 42

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Sirolimus and MECComplete Response11 participants
Secondary

Complete Response in the Absence of Platelet Recovery

Complete response in the absence of platelet recovery is defined as: \- Bone marrow (\<5% blasts) with adequate bone marrow cellularity, no evidence of circulating blasts or extramedullary disease and normalization of peripheral blood counts except for platelets (neutrophil count =1,000/µL)

Time frame: Within one week of peripheral count recovery but no later than day 42

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Sirolimus and MECComplete Response in the Absence of Platelet Recovery2 participants
Secondary

Partial Response

Partial response is defined as: * Requires that all of the criteria for complete remission be satisfied except that the bone marrow may contain ≥ 5% blasts but \< 25% blasts. * A marrow with \<5% blasts that contain Auer rods will also be considered a PR

Time frame: Within one week of peripheral count recovery but no later than day 42

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Sirolimus and MECPartial Response3 participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026