Hypomethylating Properties of Freeze-dried Black Raspberries (BRB) in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome or Myelodysplastic Syndrome/Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MDS/MPN)

A Pilot Study to Investigate the Hypomethylating Properties of Freeze-dried Black Raspberries (BRB) in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome or Myelodysplastic Syndrome/Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MDS/MPN)

This is a phase II, single-group pilot study to evaluate efficacy and methylation. This study's overarching aim is to evaluate the systemic effects of black raspberries in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm. Twenty-one patients with MDS will be treated with 25 gm (2x/day) of BRB powder taken orally.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Myelodysplastic Syndromes
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Freeze-Dried Black Raspberry Powder

Detailed Description

STUDY RATIONALE:

Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) such as azacitidine and decitabine are FDA approved therapies for MDS patients. Approximately 50% of patients respond to HMAs. In addition, HMAs have improved survival and quality of life of patients with MDS when compared with other therapies.

Preclinical research shows black raspberries (BRBs) have hypomethylating effects in the colon, blood, spleen, and bone marrow of mice treated with BRBs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hypomethylating properties of BRBs in patients with MDS or MDS/MPN for three cycles (one cycle = 28 days) of BRB supplementation.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the potential hypomethylating effects of freeze-dried black raspberries (BRBs) in the peripheral blood of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) after three cycles of BRB administration.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:

1. To evaluate the toxicity of BRBs in patients with MDS or MDS/MPN.
2. To evaluate the hematological response according to modified International Working Group (IWG) criteria (Appendix 2) in patients with MDS or MDS/MPN regardless of the initial blood count.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 23
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Wisconsin
    • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53226
      • Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must have a confirmed diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome or myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) proven by bone marrow biopsy/aspirate.

2. Patients with cytopenias (blood cell counts lower than the institutional lower limit of normal within the eight weeks prior to the study) who are receiving or received:

   • red blood cell transfusions
   • observation
   • platelet transfusions
   • erythropoietin
   • granulocyte colony-stimulating factors
   • granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors
   • hydrea
3. Age >18 years.
4. Predicted life expectancy of at least 12 weeks.
5. Patients should be expected to stay on the same therapy for the period of the study.
6. Patients who do not have an indication for and/or are unable to tolerate a hypomethylating agent are eligible for the study.

7. Reproductive requirements:

   Female patients must meet one of the following:

   • Postmenopausal for at least one year before the screening visit, or
   • Surgically sterile, or
   • If women are of childbearing potential, agree to practice two effective methods of contraception from the time of signing of the informed consent form through 30 days after the last dose of study drug, AND
   • Must also adhere to the guidelines of any treatment-specific pregnancy prevention program, if applicable, or
   • Agree to practice true abstinence when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject. (Periodic abstinence [e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, postovulation methods] and withdrawal are not acceptable contraception methods.)

   Male patients, even if surgically sterilized (i.e., status postvasectomy), must agree to one of the following:

   • Practice effective barrier contraception during the entire study treatment period and through 30 days after the last study drug dose, OR
   • Must also adhere to the guidelines of any treatment-specific pregnancy prevention program, if applicable, OR
   • Agree to practice true abstinence when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject. (Periodic abstinence [e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, postovulation methods] and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.)
8. Ability to understand a written informed consent document, and the willingness to sign it.

Exclusion Criteria:

A potential subject who meets any of the following exclusion criteria is ineligible to participate in the study.

1. Previously received hypomethylating agents.
2. Allergy to black raspberries.
3. Inability to swallow oral medication.
4. Inability or unwillingness to comply with the BRB administration requirements.
5. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness, including, but not limited to, symptomatic congestive heart failure, or psychiatric illness/social situations, that, in the treating investigator's discretion, would limit compliance with study requirements.
6. Active infection not well controlled by antibacterial or antiviral therapy.
7. Pregnant or lactating women.
8. Participation in clinical trials with other investigational agents not included in this trial, within 14 days of the start of this trial and throughout the duration of this trial.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Dietary Intervention; Freeze-dried black raspberry powder administration.	Drug: Freeze-Dried Black Raspberry Powder; 25 gm (2x/day) of freeze-dried black raspberry powder taken orally in 8 ounces of water for 12 weeks. If the patient is tolerating BRBs well and is benefiting from therapy, he or she will continue treatment for a total maximum of 48 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Number of Patients With Grade 3 or Higher Serious Adverse Events.	Adverse events assessed using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0; patients will be evaluated every four weeks for toxicity.	Up to 52 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Number of Subjects Showing a Response.	The subject's best clinical response will be assessed based on the modified International Working Group response criteria while receiving BRBs.	Up to 52 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ehab L Atallah

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): June 5, 2017
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): June 1, 2019
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): May 28, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 2, 2017
• First Posted (ACTUAL): May 4, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): November 4, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2022
• Last Verified: October 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: pharmacokinetics; MDS; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Black raspberries; hypomethylating effects; chemopreventive agent; BRB
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease; Bone Marrow Diseases; Hematologic Diseases; Precancerous Conditions; Neoplasms; Syndrome; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Preleukemia; Myeloproliferative Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: PRO28985

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