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Augmentation of the Graft vs. Leukemia Effect Via Checkpoint Blockade With Pembrolizumab

Augmentation of the Graft vs. Leukemia Effect Via Checkpoint Blockade With Pembrolizumab for Relapse of Primary Malignancy After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: A Feasibility Study

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03286114
Enrollment
16
Registered
2017-09-18
Start date
2017-12-21
Completion date
2021-04-28
Last updated
2025-05-11

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

Conditions

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Brief summary

This is a single arm, open-label, Phase 1b study of pembrolizumab for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) whose disease has relapsed after receiving allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplant.

Interventions

DRUGPembrolizumab

200mg IV every 21 days

Sponsors

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
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

* Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) in confirmed relapse * Confirmation of 'measurable disease' * Patient may not have received definitive salvage chemotherapy for their post-transplant relapse within the past 21 days. * Be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent for the trial * Be ≥ 18 years of age on day of signing informed consent * Be willing to provide tissue from bone marrow biopsies * Have a performance status of 0, to 1 on the ECOG Performance Scale. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status: an attempt to quantify cancer patients' general well-being and activities of daily life. The score ranges from 0 to 5 where 0 is asymptomatic and 5 is death. * Demonstrate adequate organ function * Female subject of childbearing potential should have a negative urine or serum pregnancy within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication. * Female subjects of childbearing potential must be willing to use an adequate method of contraception * Male subjects of childbearing potential must agree to use an adequate method of contraception

Exclusion criteria

* Has had relapse prior to primary neutrophil engraftment or ≤21 days post HCT. * Has received \>1 line of chemotherapy or other treatment directed towards post-transplant relapse prior to study entry * Rapidly progressive relapse requiring urgent chemotherapy as determined by treating physician * Is currently participating and receiving study therapy of an investigational agent and received study therapy within 2 weeks of the first dose of treatment. * Has a diagnosis of active GvHD (≥ Grade I) * Receiving systemic steroid therapy of \> 10mg prednisone daily or equivalent\* * Has received GM-CSF within 14 days of first dose of pembrolizumab * Has a known history of active TB (Bacillus Tuberculosis)Hypersensitivity to pembrolizumab or any of its excipients * Has had a prior anti-cancer monoclonal antibody (mAb) within 4 weeks prior to study Day 1 or who has not recovered from adverse events * Has had prior chemotherapy within 21 days or radiation therapy within 14 days prior to study Day 1 or who has not recovered from adverse events * Has a known additional (secondary) malignancy that is progressing or requires active treatment * Has known or suspected active central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis * Has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids, or current pneumonitis * Has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the subject's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best interest of the subject to participate, in the opinion of the treating investigator. * Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial * Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial * Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent * Has a known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) * Has known active Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C * Has received a live vaccine within 30 days of planned start of study therapy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The Number of Patients That Demonstrate Clinical Benefit From TreatmentDay 77This study will assess if the study drug is promising for further study. The study drug will be considered promising if at least 4 patients receive a clinical benefit or if any complete response is seen. Clinical benefit is defined as either stable disease, partial remission or complete remission to treatment. Complete remission (CR) will be defined as achieving a morphologic leukemia free state by achieving all of the following criteria: bone marrow myeloblasts \< 5% by morphologic assessment; AND absence of circulating blasts with phenotypic or morphologic features of leukemia (e.g. Auer rods) AND no evidence of extramedulary disease. Partial remission (PR) will be defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in bone marrow blast percentage to 5-25% or marrow blasts \< 5% with persistent Auer rods, flow cytometric or cytogenetic disease. SD will be defined as ≤ 5% increase in blasts or decreased blast percentage in the bone marrow that does not meet the criteria for PR.
The Number of Patients That Respond to TreatmentDay 77This study will assess the number of patients that respond to treatment by overall response rate (ORR). ORR is defined as the number of patients will complete remission and partial remission. Complete remission (CR) will be defined as achieving a morphologic leukemia free state by achieving all of the following criteria: bone marrow myeloblasts \< 5% by morphologic assessment; AND absence of circulating blasts with phenotypic or morphologic features of leukemia (e.g. Auer rods) AND no evidence of extramedulary disease. Partial remission (PR) will be defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in bone marrow blast percentage to 5-25% or marrow blasts \< 5% with persistent Auer rods, flow cytometric or cytogenetic disease.
Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) or Other Significant Immune Mediated Toxicities30 Days Post TreatmentThe number of patients that experience Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) or other significant immune mediated toxicities

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Survival1 YearThe number of patients alive at 1 year
Event- Free Survival1 YearThe number of patients alive at 1 year without disease

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Pembrolizumab
Pembrolizumab: 200mg IV every 21 days
16
Total16

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Overall StudyAdverse Event6
Overall StudyDeath3

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPembrolizumab
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
4 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
12 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
15 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
15 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
16 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
7 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
9 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
12 / 16
other
Total, other adverse events
6 / 16
serious
Total, serious adverse events
16 / 16

Outcome results

Primary

Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) or Other Significant Immune Mediated Toxicities

The number of patients that experience Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) or other significant immune mediated toxicities

Time frame: 30 Days Post Treatment

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
PembrolizumabGraft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) or Other Significant Immune Mediated ToxicitiesGVHD9 Participants
PembrolizumabGraft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) or Other Significant Immune Mediated Toxicitiesmmune-related SAEs2 Participants
Primary

The Number of Patients That Demonstrate Clinical Benefit From Treatment

This study will assess if the study drug is promising for further study. The study drug will be considered promising if at least 4 patients receive a clinical benefit or if any complete response is seen. Clinical benefit is defined as either stable disease, partial remission or complete remission to treatment. Complete remission (CR) will be defined as achieving a morphologic leukemia free state by achieving all of the following criteria: bone marrow myeloblasts \< 5% by morphologic assessment; AND absence of circulating blasts with phenotypic or morphologic features of leukemia (e.g. Auer rods) AND no evidence of extramedulary disease. Partial remission (PR) will be defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in bone marrow blast percentage to 5-25% or marrow blasts \< 5% with persistent Auer rods, flow cytometric or cytogenetic disease. SD will be defined as ≤ 5% increase in blasts or decreased blast percentage in the bone marrow that does not meet the criteria for PR.

Time frame: Day 77

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
PembrolizumabThe Number of Patients That Demonstrate Clinical Benefit From Treatment6 Participants
Primary

The Number of Patients That Respond to Treatment

This study will assess the number of patients that respond to treatment by overall response rate (ORR). ORR is defined as the number of patients will complete remission and partial remission. Complete remission (CR) will be defined as achieving a morphologic leukemia free state by achieving all of the following criteria: bone marrow myeloblasts \< 5% by morphologic assessment; AND absence of circulating blasts with phenotypic or morphologic features of leukemia (e.g. Auer rods) AND no evidence of extramedulary disease. Partial remission (PR) will be defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in bone marrow blast percentage to 5-25% or marrow blasts \< 5% with persistent Auer rods, flow cytometric or cytogenetic disease.

Time frame: Day 77

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
PembrolizumabThe Number of Patients That Respond to Treatment3 Participants
Secondary

Event- Free Survival

The number of patients alive at 1 year without disease

Time frame: 1 Year

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
PembrolizumabEvent- Free Survival31.3 percentage of participants
Secondary

Overall Survival

The number of patients alive at 1 year

Time frame: 1 Year

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
PembrolizumabOverall Survival37.5 percentage of participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 11, 2026