Ruxolitinib Phosphate and Decitabine in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory or Post Myeloproliferative Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Phase I/II Study of Ruxolitinib Plus Decitabine in Patients With Post Myeloproliferative Neoplasm - Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of ruxolitinib phosphate when given together with decitabine and to see how well they work in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia that has come back or is not responding to treatment, or has developed from a type of bone marrow diseases called myeloproliferative neoplasms. Ruxolitinib phosphate may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as decitabine, 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 ruxolitinib phosphate together with decitabine may be an effective treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Recurrent Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Neoplasm; Blasts More Than 20 Percent of Bone Marrow Nucleated Cells; Blasts More Than 20 Percent of Peripheral Blood White Cells
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis; Drug: Decitabine; Drug: Ruxolitinib Phosphate

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the tolerability of the combination of decitabine and ruxolitinib phosphate (ruxolitinib [DI]) in patients with leukemia. (Phase I) II. To determine the efficacy of ruxolitinib in increasing and prolonging response induced by decitabine alone in patients with post myeloproliferative neoplasm acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (post MPN-AML) alternatively referred to as (myeloproliferative neoplasm - blast phase; MPN-BP). (Compared to historical response rate with decitabine alone) (Phase II)

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare whether there is a difference in response rate patients with post-MPN AML with janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutations and patients without JAK2 mutations.

OUTLINE: This is a phase I, dose-escalation study of ruxolitinib phosphate followed by a phase II study.

Patients receive ruxolitinib phosphate orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days 1-28 and decitabine intravenously (IV) over 1-2 hours on days 1-5. Treatment repeats every 4-6 weeks for up to 24 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
      • M D Anderson Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of AML (World Health Organization [WHO] classification definition of >= to 20% blasts)
• In the phase I portion of the study all patients with relapsed or refractory AML are eligible; for the Phase II portion of the study, patients must have AML progressing from prior MPN (MPN-BP) or have myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/MPN with more than 20% blasts; temporary prior measures to control blood counts, such as apheresis or Hydrea are allowed; patients with newly diagnosed or previously treated disease are eligible as long as prior therapy does not include hypomethylating agents; prior therapy for ruxolitinib for MPN is allowed
• Serum biochemical values with the following limits unless considered due to leukemia:
• Creatinine =< 1.5 mg/dl
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 mg/dL, unless increase is due to hemolysis or congenital disorder
• Transaminases (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Ability to take oral medication
• Ability to understand and provide signed informed consent
• Performance status =< 3, unless directly related to disease process as determined by the principal investigator

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any coexisting medical condition that in the judgment of the treating physician is likely to interfere with study procedures or results including uncontrolled severe infections, as well as uncontrolled cardiac disease, or other organ dysfunction; patients with history of tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B and C are excluded
• Nursing women, women of childbearing potential with positive blood pregnancy test within 30 days of study start, or women of childbearing potential who are not willing to maintain adequate contraception (such as birth control pills, intrauterine device [IUD], diaphragm, abstinence, or condoms by their partner) over the entire course of the study
• Incomplete recovery from any prior surgical procedures or had surgery within 4 weeks prior to study entry, excluding the placement of vascular access
• Active clinically serious and uncontrolled infection

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Treatment (ruxolitinib phosphate, decitabine) Ph1; Patients receive ruxolitinib phosphate PO BID on days 1-28 and decitabine IV on days 1-5. Treatment repeats every 4-6 weeks for up to 24 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.	Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis; Correlative studies; Drug: Decitabine; Given IV; Other Names: 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine; Dacogen; Decitabine for Injection; Deoxyazacytidine; Dezocitidine; Aza-TdC; Drug: Ruxolitinib Phosphate; Given PO; Other Names: Jakafi; INCB-18424 Phosphate
Experimental: Treatment (ruxolitinib phosphate, decitabine) Ph2; Patients receive 50mg ruxolitinib phosphate PO BID on days 1-28 and decitabine IV on days 1-5. Treatment repeats every 4-6 weeks for up to 24 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.	Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis; Correlative studies; Drug: Decitabine; Given IV; Other Names: 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine; Dacogen; Decitabine for Injection; Deoxyazacytidine; Dezocitidine; Aza-TdC; Drug: Ruxolitinib Phosphate; Given PO; Other Names: Jakafi; INCB-18424 Phosphate

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximum Tolerated Dose of Ruxolitinib Phosphate (Phase I)	Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is defined as the highest dose studied for which the incidence of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) is less than or equal to 17% (1 out of 6).	Up to 6 weeks
Number of Participants With a Response (Complete Response [CR] + CR With Incomplete Blood Count Recovery) (Phase 2)	Complete Response (CR) is defined as - The participant must be free of all symptoms related to leukemia and have an absolute neutrophil count >/= 1 z 10^9/L, no need for red blood cell transfusion, platelet count>/+ 100 x 10^9/L, and normal marrow differential (</= 5 % blasts) in a normo- or hypercellular marrow. Complete Response with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) is defined as - Same as CR but incomplete count recovery.	Up to 6 years
Number of Participants With Post-MPN Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) With JAK2 Mutations (Phase 2)	JAK2 mutations were assessed with the baseline Bone Marrow or Peripheral Blood.	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of JAK2 Positive+ and JAK2 Negative- Participants With a Response (Phase 2)	JAK2 mutations were assessed with the baseline Bone Marrow or Peripheral Blood. Complete Response (CR) is defined as - The participant must be free of all symptoms related to leukemia and have an absolute neutrophil count >/= 1 z 10^9/L, no need for red blood cell transfusion, platelet count>/+ 100 x 10^9/L, and normal marrow differential (</= 5 % blasts) in a normo- or hypercellular marrow. Complete Response with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) is defined as - Same as CR but incomplete count recovery.	up to 6 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Farhad Ravandi-Kashani, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• MD Anderson Cancer Center Website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 12, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 19, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): March 19, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 26, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2014
• First Posted (Estimated): October 6, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 28, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Hematologic Diseases; Bone Marrow Diseases; Neoplasms; Leukemia; Leukemia, Myeloid; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Myeloproliferative Disorders; Myelodysplastic-Myeloproliferative Diseases; Antineoplastic Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Antimetabolites; Decitabine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2014-0344 (Other Identifier: M D Anderson Cancer Center); NCI-2014-02299 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No