PROACTIVE: Preventing Acute/Chronic GVHD With TocIlizumab Combined With GVHD Prophylaxis Post allogEneic Transplant

PROACTIVE: Prevention of Acute and Chronic GVHD Using TocIlizumab in Combination With Standard GVHD Prophylaxis After allogEneic Transplantation

This is a phase II open-label trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of tocilizumab in improving GVHD-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) for hematologic malignancy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hematologic Malignancy
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Tacrolimus; Drug: Methotrexate; Drug: Tocilizumab

Detailed Description

The research team earlier hypothesized and demonstrated that tocilizumab could attenuate the incidence of acute GVHD (aGVHD) after myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), using matched sibling or unrelated donor. In this study, the research team hypothesizes that longer term interleukin 6 (IL-6) inhibition through treatment with tocilizumab by repeated dosing would mediate a beneficial effect not only on the risk of aGVHD, but also on chronic GVHD. This will be achieved by administering an additional dose of tocilizumab at Day +100 post-alloHCT, besides the pretransplant dose, as done in our previous clinical trial, thereby providing total prophylaxis against both acute and chronic GVHD.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 29
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Wisconsin
    • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53226
      • Froedtert Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥18 years.
2. Patients with any hematologic malignancy for which alloHCT is indicated. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) must be in complete remission at the time of alloHCT(<5% blasts in the bone marrow, normal maturation of all cellular components in the bone marrow and absence of extramedullary disease).
3. Myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimen, based on Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) criteria.
4. T cell-replete peripheral blood graft.
5. Patients must have a matched related or unrelated donor (at least 6/6 match at human leukocyte antigens (HLA) -A, -B and -C for related donors and at least 8/8 match at HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 for unrelated donors).
6. Cardiac function: Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥45% for myeloablative conditioning.
7. Estimated creatinine clearance ≥40 mL/minute (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula and actual body weight).
8. Pulmonary function: Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) ≥40% (adjusted for hemoglobin) and Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) ≥50%.
9. Liver function: total bilirubin <3 x upper limit of normal and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) / aspartate aminotransferase (AST) <5 x upper normal limit.
10. Signed informed consent: Voluntary written consent must be given before patient registration and performance of any study related procedure not part of standard medical care, with the understanding that consent may be withdrawn by the patient at any time without prejudice to future medical care.
11. Female patient: A negative pregnancy test will be required for women of child bearing potential. Breast-feeding or lactation is not permitted.
12. Planned posttransplant maintenance therapy is allowed.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Prior allogeneic HCT.
2. Active central nervous system (CNS) involvement with malignancy.
3. Patients receiving cord blood or haploidentical allograft.
4. Patients undergoing in vivo or ex vivo T cell-depleted alloHCT.
5. Karnofsky Performance Score <60%.
6. Patients with uncontrolled bacterial, viral or fungal infections (currently on treatment and with progression of infectious disease or no clinical improvement) at time of enrollment.
7. Active hepatitis B or C virus infection or known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive.
8. Prior intolerance or allergy to tocilizumab.
9. Use of rituximab, alemtuzumab, anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) or other monoclonal antibody planned as part of conditioning regimen for GVHD prophylaxis.
10. History of diverticulitis, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
11. History of demyelinating disorder.
12. Any current uncontrolled cardiovascular conditions, including uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV congestive heart failure, uncontrolled angina, or electrocardiographic evidence of active ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities.
13. Any serious medical or psychiatric illness that could, in the investigator's opinion, potentially interfere with the completion of treatment according to this protocol.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Tacrolimus/Methotrexate/Tocilizumab; Patients enrolled on the clinical trial will receive tacrolimus initiating at Day -1 at doses to maintain therapeutic levels per institutional preference and continued until at least Day +90 post-transplant. Methotrexate will be administered intravenously and dosed at 15 mg/m2 Day +1 and 10 mg/m2 Days +3, +6 and +11. Tocilizumab will be administered intravenously at a dose of 8 mg/kg on Day -1 and at day +100 (+/- 14 days).

Drug: Tacrolimus; Tacrolimus will be given intravenously at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg/day starting Day -3. Subsequent dosing will be based on blood levels.; Other Names: Prograf; Drug: Methotrexate; Methotrexate will be administered at the doses of 15 mg/m2 IV bolus on Day +1, and 10 mg/m2 IV bolus on Days +3, +6 and +11 after hematopoietic cell infusion.; Other Names: Trexall; Drug: Tocilizumab; Tocilizumab will be administered intravenously (IV) at a dose of 8 mg/kg (maximum dose of 800 mg) once on the Day -1 approximately 24 hours prior to the estimated time of the hematopoietic cell infusion, and subsequently, on Day +100 (+/- 14 days, i.e., Days +86 to +114) post-alloHCT. The infusion will be administered over 60 minutes through a dedicated IV line and must not be administered by IV bolus.; Other Names: Actemra

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Number of Patients With GVHD/Relapse-free (GRFS) Survival	GRFS is defined as survival without grade III-IV acute graft versus host disease (GVHD), systemic therapy requiring chronic GVHD, relapse, or death at 12 months after matched related/unrelated donor bone marrow or peripheral blood allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) using myeloablative conditioning (MAC). Patients who are alive without GVHD will be censored at the last follow-up.	Day 365

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medical College of Wisconsin
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: William R Drobyski, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Chhabra S, Szabo A, Clurman A, McShane K, Waters N, Eastwood D, Samanas L, Fei T, Armijo G, Abedin S, Longo W, Hari P, Hamadani M, Shah NN, Runaas L, Jerkins JH, Van den Brink M, Peled JU, Drobyski WR. Mitigation of gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease with tocilizumab prophylaxis is accompanied by preservation of microbial diversity and attenuation of enterococcal domination. Haematologica. 2023 Jan 1;108(1):250-256. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281309. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 6, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 2, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 5, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 5, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): October 9, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 19, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2023
• Last Verified: April 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Hematologic Diseases; Hematologic Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antirheumatic Agents; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Antimetabolites; Antineoplastic Agents; Immunosuppressive Agents; Immunologic Factors; Dermatologic Agents; Reproductive Control Agents; Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; Abortifacient Agents; Folic Acid Antagonists; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Methotrexate; Tacrolimus
• Other Study ID Numbers: PRO32694; 1K08HL143189-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract); 5P30CA008748 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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