UARK 2008-02 A Trial for High-risk Myeloma Evaluating Accelerating and Sustaining Complete Remission

May 19, 2026 updated by: University of Arkansas

UARK 2008-02, A Phase II Trial for High-risk Myeloma Evaluation Accelerating and Sustaining Complete Remission (AS-CR) by Applying Non-host-exhausting and Timely Dose-reduced MEL-80-VRD-PACE Tandem Transplants

There have been four previous Total Therapy (TT1 through IIIB) studies for multiple myeloma at the MIRT from 1989 to present. Results have shown that participants treated on these studies had better outcomes (meaning they have lived longer and had better responses to treatment) when compared to individuals treated with standard chemotherapy.

Past studies conducted at the MIRT and at other institutions have shown that participants with high-risk features by gene array studies tend to have shorter remissions (disappearance of signs and symptoms of myeloma) and do not survive as long as participants with low-risk myeloma. Researchers at MIRT think that one reason for this is that the myeloma cells re-grow in the time when participants are not receiving treatment because they are recovering from high-dose chemotherapy. In this study, participants will receive several chemotherapy drugs previously shown to be effective in myeloma, but in lower doses and in shorter cycles. It is hoped that by giving the drugs in this way, myeloma cells will not have time to re-grow between cycles, therefore resulting in longer remissions. This study is being done in an attempt to improve the remission rate and the survival time for participants with high-risk myeloma.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

  • To find out if giving multi-agent chemotherapy in lower and more frequent doses to make the timely delivery of chemotherapy cycles possible, will result in better treatment outcomes
  • To find out if changing the way the drugs are given during the transplant phase will also result in fewer side effects, while still being effective
  • To find out if giving treatment between transplants (called "inter-transplant therapy") will prevent the myeloma from re-growing between transplants
  • To find out if long-term maintenance therapy will result in longer remissions
  • To find out what the effects (good and bad) of this overall treatment will be
  • To learn more about the biology and genetics of multiple myeloma by performing imaging tests and collecting blood, bone marrow aspirate and biopsies, and biopsies of lesions seen on MRI or PET scans for research

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

90

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Arkansas
      • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205
        • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients must have newly diagnosed active MM requiring treatment. Patients with previous history of smoldering myeloma will be eligible if there is evidence of progressive disease requiring chemotherapy.
  • Patients must be either untreated o have not had more than one cycle of systemic MM therapy, excluding bisphosphonates and localized radiation.
  • Patients must have high-risk disease, as defined by any one of the following:
  • GEP risk score of > or = 0.66 or
  • LDH > or = 360 U/L Rule out hemolysis, infection an contact PI for clarification
  • Zubrod < or = 2, unless solely due to symptoms of MM-related bone disease.
  • Patients must have a platelet count of > or = 50,000/uL, unless lower levels are explained by extensive bone marrow plasmacytosis.
  • Patients must be at least 18 years of age and not older than 75 years of age at the time of registration.
  • Participants must have preserved renal function as defined by a serum creatinine level of < 3 mg/dL.
  • Participants must have an ejection fraction by ECHO or MUGA scan > or = 45%
  • Patients must have adequate pulmonary function studies > or = 50% of predicted on mechanical aspects (FEV squared, FVC, etc) and diffusion capacity (DLCO) > or = 50% of predicted. If the patient is unable to complete pulmonary function tests due to MM related pain or condition, exception may be granted if the principle investigator documents that the patient is a candidate for high dose therapy.
  • Patients must have signed an IRB-approved informed consent indicating their understanding of the proposed treatment and understanding that the protocol has been approved by the IRB.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Does not have high-risk disease
  • Poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or other serious medical illness or psychiatric illness that could potentially interfere with the completion of treatment according to this protocol.
  • Patients must not have prior malignancy, except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, or other cancer for which the patient has not received treatment for one year prior to enrollment. Other cancers will only be acceptable if the patient's life expectancy exceeds five years.
  • Pregnant or nursing women may not participate. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy documented within one week of registration. Subjects of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use an effective contraceptive method.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: MEL--VTD-PACE
Melphalan, Velcade, Thalidomide, Dexamethasone, Cisplatin, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide and Etoposide
1.0mg/m2 days 1, 5, 8, & 11
Other Names:
  • PS-341
10 mg/m2 day 3
Other Names:
  • Alkeran
200 mg days 5-8
Other Names:
  • Thalomid
40 mg day 5-8
Other Names:
  • Decadron
10 mg/m2 day 5-8
Other Names:
  • Platinol
10 mg/m2 day 5-8
Other Names:
  • Doxorubicin
400 mg/m2 day 5-8
Other Names:
  • Cytoxan
40 mg/m2 day 5-8
Other Names:
  • Vp-16, Vepesid

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Accelerate and sustain, at 2 years from starting therapy
Time Frame: 2 years
2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
48hrs after melphalan 10mg/m2, gene expression profiling (GEP) examinations of CD138-purified MM plasma cells (PC)and of bone marrow biopsy (BX)samples
Time Frame: 2 years
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Frits van Rhee, MD, PhD, UAMS

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

October 1, 2008

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 24, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 24, 2009

First Posted (Estimated)

March 25, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 106952

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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