DFMO Maintenance for Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Ewing Sarcoma or Osteosarcoma (DFMO)

May 12, 2026 updated by: Montefiore Medical Center
The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of administering DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) to patients with relapsed Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma who have completed all planned therapy and have no evidence of disease.

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

Approximately 30-35% of patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma will develop relapsed/refractory disease and carry a very poor prognosis. DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine, commonly known as DFMO or eflornithine, is a synthetic analog of the amino acid ornithine. DFMO has been studied in a number of different cancers as either a therapeutic or a chemopreventative agent and is now FDA approved to reduce the risk of relapse in patients with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma. As DFMO has now been given to over 100 children with metastatic cancer, dosing and safety in this population is well established. Given the stagnant survival rates for children, adolescents, and young adults with relapsed Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma over the past few decades, this study will explore the feasibility of using DFMO in patients with relapsed osteosarcoma and relapsed Ewing sarcoma who are without any evidence of disease at the end of therapy in order to prevent disease recurrence.

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.
15

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.
  • Phase 2
  • 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.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

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

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients < 40 years of age at the time of enrollment
  • Diagnosis of relapsed osteosarcoma or relapsed Ewing sarcoma who have completed all planned therapy for their relapse, as described in the protocol, and have no evidence of disease
  • Patients must have a performance status corresponding to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 0, 1, or 2
  • Myelosuppressive chemotherapy: At least 14 days must have elapsed since completion of myelosuppressive therapy
  • Monoclonal antibodies: At least 21 days must have elapsed from infusion of last dose of antibody, and toxicity related to prior antibody therapy must be recovered to Grade < 2
  • Biologic therapy (defined as anti-cancer agents not known to be myelosuppressive): At least 7 days after the last dose of agent
  • Radiation therapy: At least 14 days must have elapsed after local External Beam Radiation Therapy (XRT), at least 90 days after Total Body Irradiation (TBI), craniospinal XRT or if radiation to greater than 50% of the pelvis, and at least 42 days if other substantial bone marrow radiation
  • Adequate bone marrow function defined as:
  • Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) greater or equal to 750/microliter
  • Platelet count greater or equal to 75,000/microliter (transfusion independent)
  • Adequate renal function defined by serum creatinine based on age and gender (see protocol)
  • Adequate liver function defined as:
  • Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) for age AND
  • SGPT (ALT) ≤ 5.0 x ULN for age. For this study the ULN is 45 U/L

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding females. Men and women of childbearing potential and their partners must agree to use adequate contraception while enrolled on this study. Based on the teratogenic potential of the agent, pregnant women will be excluded from this study. Because of potential risks to breastfed infants due to drug metabolites that could be excreted in breast milk, female patients who are lactating must agree to stop breastfeeding or will otherwise be excluded from this study. Females of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test to be eligible for this study
  • Patients must not have an uncontrolled infection
  • Patients with a significant intercurrent illness (any ongoing serious medical problem unrelated to cancer or its treatment) that is not covered by the detailed exclusion criteria and that is expected to interfere with the action of study agents or to significantly increase the severity of the toxicities experienced from study treatment are not eligible

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: Treatment with DFMO

DFMO will be administered orally every 12 hours in 28-day cycles at the FDA approved dosages based on the patient's body surface area (BSA). DFMO tablets are 192 mg.

  • Patients with a BSA < 1.5 m^2 will take 768 mg (four tablets) orally twice a day.
  • Patients with a BSA 0.75 to 1.5 m^2 will take 576 mg (three tablets) orally twice a day.
  • Patients with a BSA of 0.5 to < 0.75 m^2 will take 384 mg (two tablets) orally twice a day.
  • Patients with a BSA of 0.25 to < 0.5 m^2 will take 192 mg (one tablet) orally twice a day.
Drug: DFMO
DFMO dose will be calculated based on the BSA measured within 14 days prior to the beginning of each cycle. Tablets may be swallowed whole, chewed, or crushed and mixed with soft food or liquid.
Other Names:
  • Difluoromethylornithine
  • iWilfin

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
Feasibility of Administering DFMO
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
Feasibility will be defined as the ability to successfully administer DFMO to at least 80% of subjects who initiate therapy until either disease recurrence or completion of the maximally allowed duration of therapy. Results will be summarized using basic descriptive statistics.
Up to 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
Event Free Survival
Time Frame: Up to 2 years
The number/percentage of participants with event-free survival (EFS) at 2 years will be determined. Event-free survival will be defined as the time from diagnosis until drug discontinuation, disease progression, recurrence at any site, secondary malignancy, death from any cause, or last follow-up, whichever is observed first.
Up to 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.
Montefiore Medical Center

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.
Johns Hopkins University

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: Alice Lee, MD, Montefiore Medical Center

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.

General Publications

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.
April 7, 2025

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.
April 1, 2030

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.
April 1, 2030

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).
March 19, 2025

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.
March 19, 2025

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.
March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
May 14, 2026

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.
May 12, 2026

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.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 2024-16461

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

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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