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Azacitidine and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Infants With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and KMT2A Gene Rearrangement

A Groupwide Pilot Study to Test the Tolerability and Biologic Activity of the Addition of Azacitidine (IND# 133688, NSC# 102816) to Chemotherapy in Infants With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and KMT2A(MLL) Gene Rearrangement

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02828358
Enrollment
78
Registered
2016-07-11
Start date
2017-04-01
Completion date
2024-12-31
Last updated
2025-02-27

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

Conditions

Acute Leukemia of Ambiguous Lineage, B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia

Brief summary

This pilot phase II trial studies the side effects of azacitidine and combination chemotherapy in infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and KMT2A gene rearrangement. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as methotrexate, prednisolone, daunorubicin hydrochloride, cytarabine, dexamethasone, vincristine sulfate, pegaspargase, hydrocortisone sodium succinate, azacitidine, cyclophosphamide, mercaptopurine, leucovorin calcium, and thioguanine work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving more than one drug may kill more cancer cells.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To evaluate the tolerability of azacitidine in addition to Interfant-06 standard chemotherapy in infants with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with KMT2A gene rearrangement (KMT2A-R). SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: I. To evaluate the biologic activity of azacitidine by pharmacodynamic assessment of global deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of infants treated with azacitidine. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the 5 year event-free survival (EFS) of infants with KMT2A-R treated with azacitidine in addition to Interfant-06 standard chemotherapy. II. To correlate minimal residual disease (MRD) with outcome in the context of the protocol therapy. III. To perform pharmacokinetic (PK) testing of azacitidine in infants. IV. To test the expansion of infant T lymphocytes by stimulation with artificial antigen presenting cells identical to those used in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART)-19 production. V. To collect pharmacodynamic (PD) data for asparaginase activity following pegaspargase administration in infants. OUTLINE: INDUCTION CHEMOTHERAPY: Patients receive methotrexate intrathecally (IT) on days 1 and 29, prednisolone orally (PO) or nasogastrically (NG) three times daily (TID) on days 1-7, daunorubicin hydrochloride intravenously (IV) over 1-15 minutes on days 8-9, cytarabine IV over 30 minutes on days 8-21 and IT on day 15, dexamethasone PO, NG, or IV TID on days 8-28, vincristine sulfate IV over 1 minute on days 8, 15, 22, and 29, pegaspargase IV over 1-2 hours or intramuscularly (IM) on day 12, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate IT on days 15 and 29 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Only patients with KMT2A-R continue to post-induction chemotherapy. POST-INDUCTION CHEMOTHERAPY: AZACITIDINE BLOCK I: Prior to CONSOLIDATION, patients receive azacitidine IV over 10-40 minutes daily for 5 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. CONSOLIDATION: Following completion of AZACITIDINE BLOCK I, patients receive cyclophosphamide IV over 30-60 minutes on days 1 and 29, mercaptopurine PO or NG daily on days 1-28, cytarabine IV or subcutaneously (SC) daily on days 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, and 24-27 and IT on day 10, methotrexate IT on day 24, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate IT on days 10 and 24 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. AZACITIDINE BLOCK II: Prior to INTERIM MAINTENANCE, patients receive azacitidine as in AZACITIDINE BLOCK I INTERIM MAINTENANCE: Following completion of AZACITIDINE BLOCK II, patients receive mercaptopurine PO or NG daily on days 1-14, methotrexate IV over 24 hours on days 1 and 8 and IT on days 2 and 9, leucovorin calcium PO or IV on days 3-4 and 10-11, hydrocortisone sodium succinate IT on days 2 and 9, cytarabine IV over 3 hours every 12 hours on days 15-16 and 22-23 for a total of 8 doses, and pegaspargase IV over 1-2 hours or IM on day 23 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. AZACITIDINE BLOCK III: Prior to DELAYED INTENSIFICATION PART I, patients receive azacitidine as in AZACITIDINE BLOCK I. DELAYED INTENSIFICATION PART I: Following completion of AZACITIDINE BLOCK III, patients receive pegaspargase IV over 1-2 hours or IM on day 1, dexamethasone PO, NG, or IV TID on days 1-14 and 15-21 with a taper on days 15-21, thioguanine PO or NG daily on days 1-28, vincristine sulfate IV over 1 minute on days 1, 8, 15, and 22, daunorubicin hydrochloride IV over 1-15 minutes on days 1, 8, 15, and 22, cytarabine IV or SC on days 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, and 23-26 and IT on days 1 and 15, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate IT on days 1 and 15 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. AZACITIDINE BLOCK IV: Prior to DELAYED INTENSIFICATION PART II, patients receive azacitidine as in AZACITIDINE BLOCK I. DELAYED INTENSIFICATION PART II: Following completion of AZACITIDINE BLOCK IV, patients receive thioguanine PO or NG daily on days 1-14, cyclophosphamide IV over 15-30 minutes on days 1 and 15, cytarabine IV or SC on days 2-5 and 9-12 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. MAINTENANCE: Following DELAYED INTENSIFICATION PART II, patients receive mercaptopurine PO or NG on days 1-168, methotrexate IT on day 1 and 92 and PO once weekly on days 8-91 and 98-168, hydrocortisone sodium succinate IT on day 1, 57, and 99, and cytarabine IT on day 57. Starting on day 169, patients receive mercaptopurine PO or NG on days 1-84 and methotrexate PO once weekly. Cycles repeat every 84 days for 2 years from the start of INDUCTION CHEMOTHERAPY in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Additionally, patients undergo collection of blood sample and an echocardiogram (ECHO) or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan on study. Patients may also undergo computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the study. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up periodically.

Interventions

DRUGLeucovorin

Given PO, IV

DRUGLeucovorin Calcium

Given PO, IV

PROCEDUREMagnetic Resonance Imaging

Undergo MRI

DRUGMercaptopurine

Given PO, NG

DRUGMethotrexate

Given IT, IV, PO

PROCEDUREMultigated Acquisition Scan

Undergo MUGA scan

DRUGPegaspargase

Given IV

DRUGPrednisolone

Given PO, NG

DRUGThioguanine

Given PO, NG

DRUGAzacitidine

Given IV

PROCEDUREBiospecimen Collection

Undergo blood sample collection

PROCEDUREComputed Tomography

Undergo CT scan

DRUGCyclophosphamide

Given IV

DRUGCytarabine

Given IV, SC, IT

DRUGDaunorubicin

Given IV

DRUGDaunorubicin Hydrochloride

Given IV

DRUGDexamethasone

Given PO, NG, IV

PROCEDUREEchocardiography

Undergo ECHO

DRUGVincristine

Given IV

DRUGVincristine Sulfate

Given IV

Sponsors

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Lead SponsorNIH

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
No minimum to 364 Days
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Infants must be \> 36 weeks gestational age at the time of enrollment * Patients must have newly diagnosed B lymphoblastic leukemia (2008 World Health Organization \[WHO\] classification) (also termed B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia) or acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage (ALUL), which includes mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL); for patients with ALUL, the morphology and immunophenotype must be at least 50% B lymphoblastic * Central nervous system (CNS) status must be determined based on a sample obtained prior to the administration of any systemic or intrathecal chemotherapy, with the exception of steroid pretreatment

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with known absence of KMT2A-rearrangement leukemia prior to enrollment * Patients with Down syndrome * Patients with secondary B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) that developed after treatment of a prior malignancy with cytotoxic chemotherapy * With the exception of steroid pretreatment or the administration of intrathecal methotrexate or intrathecal cytarabine, receipt of any other prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for either the current diagnosis of B-ALL or any cancer diagnosed prior to the initiation of protocol therapy on AALL15P1

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Tolerability of Azacitidine in Combination With Interfant-06 Standard Chemotherapy in Evaluable Infant Patients With Newly Diagnosed ALL With KMT2A Gene Rearrangement (KMT2A-R). KMT2A Gene Rearrangement (KMT2A-R)6 monthsProportion of KMT2A-Rearranged patients treated with azacitidine with Dose Limiting Toxicities (DLTs) from the first course of azacitidine administration up to fourth course of azacitidine administration.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 1 Prior to First Course of AzacitidineWeek 6, Day 1 (Following the induction phase (35 days), the first course of Azacitidine began around Week 6 of therapy)Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients before the first course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.
Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 5 of First Course of AzacitidineWeek 6, Day 5 (Following the induction phase (35 days), the first course of Azacitidine began around Week 6 of therapy)Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients after the first course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.
Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 1 Prior to Second Course of AzacitidineWeek 13, Day 1 (Following induction phase (5 weeks), the first course of Azacitidine (1 week), and consolidation (6 weeks), the second course of Azacitidine began around Week 13 of therapy)Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients before the second course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.
Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 5 of Second Course of AzacitidineWeek 13, Day 5 (Following induction phase (5 weeks), the first course of Azacitidine (1 week), and consolidation (6 weeks), the second course of Azacitidine began around Week 13 of therapy)Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients after the second course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Event-free Survival (EFS)Five yearsFive year EFS estimation will be calculated from time of enrollment. Standard errors and confidence intervals for EFS will be calculated using Peto's method.
Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)Five yearsDescriptive analysis will be conducted to correlate MRD with the EFS for the KMT2A-R patients.
Pharmacokinetic (PK) Parameters of AzacitidineTwo monthsPharmacokinetic (PK) testing and analysis of azacitidine in infants will be performed by Covance.
Expansion of Infant T Lymphocytes by Stimulation With Artificial Antigen Presenting CellsThree monthsOptional biological study participation will explore the feasibility of T-cell collection for the purposes of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell production from the peripheral blood in infants with ALL.
PD Data for Asparaginase Activity Following Pegaspargase AdministrationSix monthsPharmacodynamic (PD) data for asparaginase activity following pegaspargase administration in infants will be collected, described, and correlated with EFS for the KMT2A-R patients.

Countries

Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico, United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Infants less than 1 year of age with newly diagnosed B lymphoblastic leukemia (also termed B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia) or acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage

Pre-assignment details

Enrolled patients receive common induction therapy. Genetic evaluation results in patients being stratified into KMT2A-Germline and KMT2A-Rearranged groups. KMT2A-Germline patients go off protocol therapy post-induction.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
KMT2A-Rearranged
INDUCTION: Same as KMT2A-Germline (Group 2). AZACITIDINE (AZA) I: AZA over 10-40 minutes for 5 days. CONSOLIDATION: cyclophosphamide days 1/29; mercaptopurine (6-MP) days 1-28; ARA-C days 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 24-27; MTX IT day 24; HC days 10/24. AZA II: Same as AZA I. INTERIM MAINTENANCE: 6-MP days 1-14; MTX 1/2/8/9; leucovorin calcium days 3-4,10-11; HC days 2/9; ARA-C days 15-16, 22-23; PEG day 23. AZA III: Same as AZA I. DELAYED INTENSIFICATION (DI) I: PEG day 1; dexamethasone days 1-14, 15-21; thioguanine days 1-28; vincristine sulfate and daunorubicin hydrochloride days 1/8/15/22; ARA-C days 1-5, 9-12, 15-19, 23-26; HC on days 1/15. AZA IV: Same as AZA I. DI II: thioguanine days 1-14; cyclophosphamide days 1/15; ARA-C days 2-5, 9-12. MAINTENANCE: 6-MP days 1-168, MTX IT day 1/92; MTX weekly days 8-91,98-168; HC day 1/57/99; ARA-C day 57. Starting day 169, 6-MP days 1-84 and MTX weekly. Cycles repeat every 84 days for 2 years from start of Induction.
56
KMT2A-Germline
Induction: Methotrexate intrathecally (IT) on days 1 and 29, prednisolone orally (PO) or nasogastrically (NG) three times daily (TID) on days 1-7, daunorubicin hydrochloride intravenously (IV) over 1-15 minutes on days 8-9, cytarabine (ARA-C) IV over 30 minutes on days 8-21 and IT on day 15, dexamethasone PO, NG, or IV TID on days 8-28, vincristine sulfate IV over 1 minute on days 8, 15, 22, and 29, pegaspargase (PEG) IV over 1-2 hours or intramuscularly (IM) on day 12, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate (HC) IT on days 15 and 29 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
22
Total78

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyPatients without KMT2A rearrangement021
Overall StudyPhysician Decision71
Overall StudyRefusal of further protocol therapy20
Overall StudyRelapse250
Overall StudyStill on therapy50
Overall StudyTreatment Failure60

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTotalKMT2A-RearrangedKMT2A-Germline
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
78 Participants56 Participants22 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Continuous0.55 Years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.29
0.48 Years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.29
0.74 Years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.2
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
15 Participants11 Participants4 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
57 Participants40 Participants17 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
6 Participants5 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
5 Participants4 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
5 Participants3 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
11 Participants9 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
55 Participants40 Participants15 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
47 Participants35 Participants12 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
31 Participants21 Participants10 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
17 / 561 / 22
other
Total, other adverse events
36 / 5610 / 22
serious
Total, serious adverse events
34 / 561 / 22

Outcome results

Primary

Tolerability of Azacitidine in Combination With Interfant-06 Standard Chemotherapy in Evaluable Infant Patients With Newly Diagnosed ALL With KMT2A Gene Rearrangement (KMT2A-R). KMT2A Gene Rearrangement (KMT2A-R)

Proportion of KMT2A-Rearranged patients treated with azacitidine with Dose Limiting Toxicities (DLTs) from the first course of azacitidine administration up to fourth course of azacitidine administration.

Time frame: 6 months

Population: KMT2A-Rearranged patients evaluable for dose-limiting toxicity assessment

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
KMT2A-RearrangedTolerability of Azacitidine in Combination With Interfant-06 Standard Chemotherapy in Evaluable Infant Patients With Newly Diagnosed ALL With KMT2A Gene Rearrangement (KMT2A-R). KMT2A Gene Rearrangement (KMT2A-R)6.45 percentage of participants
Secondary

Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 1 Prior to First Course of Azacitidine

Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients before the first course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.

Time frame: Week 6, Day 1 (Following the induction phase (35 days), the first course of Azacitidine began around Week 6 of therapy)

Population: Patients with methylation data. KMT2A-Germline patients did not have data collected as they came off therapy at the end of Induction

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
KMT2A-RearrangedBiologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 1 Prior to First Course of Azacitidine78.17 Percentage of CpG methylationStandard Deviation 1.62
Secondary

Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 1 Prior to Second Course of Azacitidine

Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients before the second course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.

Time frame: Week 13, Day 1 (Following induction phase (5 weeks), the first course of Azacitidine (1 week), and consolidation (6 weeks), the second course of Azacitidine began around Week 13 of therapy)

Population: Patients with methylation data. KMT2A-Germline patients did not have data collected as they came off therapy at the end of Induction

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
KMT2A-RearrangedBiologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 1 Prior to Second Course of Azacitidine76.5 Percentage of CpG methylationStandard Deviation 2.68
Secondary

Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 5 of First Course of Azacitidine

Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients after the first course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.

Time frame: Week 6, Day 5 (Following the induction phase (35 days), the first course of Azacitidine began around Week 6 of therapy)

Population: Patients with methylation data. KMT2A-Germline patients did not have data collected as they came off therapy at the end of Induction

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
KMT2A-RearrangedBiologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 5 of First Course of Azacitidine75.54 Percentage of CpG methylationStandard Deviation 2.68
Secondary

Biologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 5 of Second Course of Azacitidine

Will calculate the percentage of CpG site methylation for all patients after the second course of azacitidine. Mean and standard deviation will be reported.

Time frame: Week 13, Day 5 (Following induction phase (5 weeks), the first course of Azacitidine (1 week), and consolidation (6 weeks), the second course of Azacitidine began around Week 13 of therapy)

Population: Patients with methylation data. KMT2A-Germline patients did not have data collected as they came off therapy at the end of Induction.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
KMT2A-RearrangedBiologic Activity, Defined as Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Methylation Change in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC)s; Day 5 of Second Course of Azacitidine74.52 Percentage of CpG methylationStandard Deviation 2.09
Other Pre-specified

Event-free Survival (EFS)

Five year EFS estimation will be calculated from time of enrollment. Standard errors and confidence intervals for EFS will be calculated using Peto's method.

Time frame: Five years

Other Pre-specified

Expansion of Infant T Lymphocytes by Stimulation With Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells

Optional biological study participation will explore the feasibility of T-cell collection for the purposes of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell production from the peripheral blood in infants with ALL.

Time frame: Three months

Other Pre-specified

Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)

Descriptive analysis will be conducted to correlate MRD with the EFS for the KMT2A-R patients.

Time frame: Five years

Other Pre-specified

PD Data for Asparaginase Activity Following Pegaspargase Administration

Pharmacodynamic (PD) data for asparaginase activity following pegaspargase administration in infants will be collected, described, and correlated with EFS for the KMT2A-R patients.

Time frame: Six months

Other Pre-specified

Pharmacokinetic (PK) Parameters of Azacitidine

Pharmacokinetic (PK) testing and analysis of azacitidine in infants will be performed by Covance.

Time frame: Two months

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 12, 2026