Darzalex Faspro (Daratumumab and Hyaluronidase-fihj) Before Standard Desensitization and Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients at High-risk for Primary Graft Failure Secondary to Donor Specific Antibodies

September 25, 2025 updated by: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

A Pilot Study of Darzalex Faspro (Daratumumab and Hyaluronidase-fihj) Before Standard Desensitization and Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients at High-risk for Primary Graft Failure Secondary to Donor Specific Antibodies

This research is being done to investigate the safety and effectiveness of Darzalex Faspro (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) (a monoclonal antibody that targets plasma cells that make antibodies) and whether it can lower donor specific antibodies (DSA) levels to low enough levels to permit patients to proceed with allogeneic peripheral blood transplant (alloBMT). Those being asked to participate have high DSA levels that puts those being asked to participate at high risk of rejecting the available donor's blood stem cells and making those being asked to participate ineligible to receive a stem cell transplant.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Allogeneic blood or bone marrow transplant (alloBMT) remains the definitive curative treatment for many with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies. In recent years, increased use of alternative (non-fully human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched) donors has led to increased rates of donor specific antibodies (DSA). DSA are pre-formed HLA-antibodies in the recipient directed against the donor's class I and/or class II HLA antigens. DSA can be formed by exposure to foreign HLA antigens most commonly by pregnancy, blood transfusions, and previous organ or blood transplantation.

High levels of circulating anti-HLA antibodies directed towards mismatched donor HLA antigens at the time of alloBMT can dramatically increase the risk of primary graft failure (PGF). The strength of these donor specific antibodies (DSA) can be assessed with several methodologies including cross-matched cellular based assays (cytotoxic or flow cytometric assessment) or the more sensitive solid phase immunoassay (SPI) that estimates antibody level. Methods to "desensitize" patients with elevated DSAs using therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and immunosuppression (i.e., mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus) are successful in patients with moderate levels of DSAs. However, in many patients, the DSA levels are considered too high for desensitization, or, desensitization has failed to lower levels of the DSA, and suitable alternative donors cannot be readily identified.

In this single-institution study at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC), we will identify patients in whom alloBMT is indicated, but where DSA levels are above a pre-defined threshold using a proprietary algorithm that combines information from flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM) and SPI (the Johns Hopkins (JH)-DSA Semi-Quant Screen Score). Patients who meet eligibility criteria will undergo 4 weekly doses of treatment with Darzalex Faspro, an anti- 38 (cluster of differentiation 38) antibody that kills plasma cells and lowers immunoglobulin levels, followed by standard desensitization with TPE, IVIG, and immunosuppression. Eight subjects will be treated in this pilot study. The primary endpoint will be based on safety of Darzalex Faspro and the number of patients who have DSA levels lowered enough to proceed to conditioning based on a pre-defined algorithm called JH-DSA Semi-Quant Response Score.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
8

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Christian B Gocke, MD PhD
  • Phone Number: 4109558839
  • Email: cgocke2@jhmi.edu

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21231
        • Recruiting
        • Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Participates must meet all other institutional criteria for the planned reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant (RIC alloHSCT) as defined in Johns Hopkins BMT Policy; all potential non-cord blood donor sources are included: matched related, haploidentical, matched unrelated, mismatched unrelated.
  2. Participants must be ≥18 years of age.

  3. Participants must have adequate organ function for undergoing RIC allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant, and for undergoing a clinical trial.

    a. Hematologic. i. White blood cell (WBC). ANC ≥ 500/mm3 (growth factor support allowed). ii. Hemoglobin. No specific cut-off. (PRBC transfusion allowed). iii. Platelets. Platelets ≥ 10,000/mm3 (platelet transfusion allowed). b. Liver. Bilirubin ≤ 3.0 mg/dL (unless due to Gilbert's syndrome or hemolysis), and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) < 5x Upper limit of normal (ULN) c. Renal. Serum creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL. d. Cardiac. Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 35%. e. Pulmonary. FEV1 ≥ 50%.

  4. Subjects are eligible if there are high levels of Donor Specific Antibody levels based on protocol specific scoring system regardless of prior attempts at standard desensitization.
  5. Participants must have a no other readily available suitable alternative donor.
  6. All potential Participants must be pre-approved by BMT faculty consensus.
  7. Participants must have adequate willingness to participate in a clinical trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Previous exposure to Daratumumab-SC or other anti-CD38 therapy

    1. Exposure to Daratumumab-SC or other anti-CD38 therapies (unless a re-treatment study)
    2. Exposure to an investigational drug (including investigational vaccine) or invasive investigational medical device for any indication within 4 weeks or 5 pharmacokinetic half-lives, whichever is longer.
    3. Focal radiation therapy within 14 days prior to beginning of planned RIC allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant regimen with the exception of palliative radiotherapy for symptomatic management but not on measurable extramedullary plasmacytoma
  2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) < 50% of predicted normal. Note that FEV1 testing is required for participants suspected of having COPD and participants must be excluded if FEV1 is < 50% of predicted normal.
  3. Moderate or severe persistent asthma within the past 2 years, or uncontrolled asthma of any classification. Note that participants who currently have controlled intermittent asthma or controlled mild persistent asthma are allowed to participate.
  4. Known hypersensitivity or intolerance to boron or mannitol, sorbitol, corticosteroids, monoclonal antibodies or human proteins, or the excipients
  5. Diagnosis of multiple myeloma or Amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis
  6. A planned myeloablative alloBMT or the planned use of bone marrow or cord blood as a stem cell source
  7. History of HIV infection at any time in past.
  8. Seropositive for hepatitis B (HBV) (defined by a positive test for hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] positive, or antibodies to hepatitis B surface and/or core antigens [antiHBs or antiHBc, respectively] with hepatitis B virus [HBV]- DNA quantitation positive). Patients who are positive for antiHBs and/or antiHBc must have a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HBV-DNA quantitation result during screening. Patients with serologic findings suggestive of HBV vaccination (antiHBs positivity as the only serologic marker) AND a known history of prior HBV vaccination do not need to be tested for HBV DNA by PCR. Those who are PCR positive will be excluded.
  9. Seropositive for hepatitis C (except in the setting of a sustained virologic response (SVR), defined as aviremia at least 12 weeks after completion of antiviral therapy)

  10. Clinically significant cardiac disease, including:

    1. Myocardial infarction within 6 months before RIC alloHSCT or unstable or uncontrolled disease/condition related to or affection cardiac function (e.g., unstable angina, congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association Class III-IV)
    2. Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia

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

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Daratumumab-SC followed by standard of care DSA desensitization and alloBMT
Darzalex Faspro (Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) will be administered subcutaneously (SC) weekly (every 7 day +/- 1 day) for a total of four doses followed by standard desensitization regimen and allogeneic stem cell transplant.
Drug: Darzalex Faspro (Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj)
Darzalex Faspro will be administered weekly as a subcutaneous injection on Days -42, -35, -28 and -21 (+/- 1 day) for a total of four doses at 1800 mg each.
Device: JH-DSA Semi-Quant Screen and Response Score
Serum based semi-quantifiable investigational testing regimen used to screen for high DSA level or assess response to desensitization. It is based on results from cross-matched flow cytometric assessment cellular-based and solid phase immunoassays (SPI) that estimates antibody level.
Other Names:
  • JH-DSA Semi-Quant Screen Score
  • JH-DSA Semi-Quant Response Score

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Efficacy as assessed by percentage of patients with reduced DSA levels
Time Frame: 2 years
Efficacy as assessed by the percentage of patients with DSA levels that are reduced to a level permissible for RIC alloHSCT with DSA strength of II or less and at least a 10% decrease in MFI from the baseline as determined by the JH-DSA Response Score.
2 years
Safety as assessed by proportion of patients with grade 3 or higher toxicities
Time Frame: 2 years
Proportion of patients with Grade 3 or higher toxicities attributable to daratumumab for one cycle of Darzalex Faspro
2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time (days) to neutrophilic recovery
Time Frame: 2 years
Average amount of time taken to obtain an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) greater than or equal to 500 (10^6/L) for 3 consecutive days
2 years
Time (days) to platelet recovery
Time Frame: 2 years
Average amount of time taken to reach platelet count greater than 20 (10^9/L) for 3 consecutive days
2 years
Number of participants who achieve T-cell chimerism
Time Frame: 2 years
Number of participants who acheive T cell chimerism by day +60
2 years
Number of participants who have primary graft failure
Time Frame: 2 years
Number of participants who have primary graft failure defined by failure to achieve a T-cell chimerism of 5% or more or neutrophilic engraftment by day +60.
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Christian B Gocke, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

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 (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 19, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 1, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 2, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 3, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 25, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • J2450
  • IRB00440881 (Other Identifier: JHM IRB)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

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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