NCT06928662 · Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Chemotherapy (Decitabine in Combination With FLAG-Ida) and Total-Body Irradiation Followed by Donor Stem Cell Transplant for the Treatment of Adults With Myeloid Malignancies at High Risk of Relapse
What this study is about
This phase I/II trial studies the safety, side effects, and best dose of decitabine in combination with fludarabine, cytarabine, filgrastim, and idarubicin (FLAG-Ida) and total body irradiation (TBI) followed by a donor stem cell transplant in treating adult patients with cancers of blood-forming cells of the bone marrow (myeloid malignancies) that are at high risk of coming back after treatment (relapse). Cancers eligible for this trial are acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Decitabine is in a class of medications called hypomethylation agents. It works by helping the bone marrow produce normal blood cells and by killing abnormal cells in the bone marrow. The FLAG-Ida regimen consists of the following drugs: fludarabine, cytarabine, filgrastim, and idarubicin. These are chemotherapy drugs that 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. Filgrastim is in a class of medications called colony-stimulating factors. It works by helping the body make more neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. TBI is radiation therapy to the entire body. Giving chemotherapy and TBI before a donor peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into a patient, they may help the patient's bone marrow make more healthy cells and platelets. Giving decitabine in combination with FLAG-Ida and TBI before donor PBSC transplant may work better than FLAG-Ida and TBI alone in treating adult patients with myeloid malignancies at high risk of relapse.
View original scientific description
This phase I/II trial studies the safety, side effects, and best dose of decitabine in combination with fludarabine, cytarabine, filgrastim, and idarubicin (FLAG-Ida) and total body irradiation (TBI) followed by a donor stem cell transplant in treating adult patients with cancers of blood-forming cells of the bone marrow (myeloid malignancies) that are at high risk of coming back after treatment (relapse). Cancers eligible for this trial are acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Decitabine is in a class of medications called hypomethylation agents. It works by helping the bone marrow produce normal blood cells and by killing abnormal cells in the bone marrow. The FLAG-Ida regimen consists of the following drugs: fludarabine, cytarabine, filgrastim, and idarubicin. These are chemotherapy drugs that 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. Filgrastim is in a class of medications called colony-stimulating factors. It works by helping the body make more neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. TBI is radiation therapy to the entire body. Giving chemotherapy and TBI before a donor peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into a patient, they may help the patient's bone marrow make more healthy cells and platelets. Giving decitabine in combination with FLAG-Ida and TBI before donor PBSC transplant may work better than FLAG-Ida and TBI alone in treating adult patients with myeloid malignancies at high risk of relapse.
Interventions
DRUG
Decitabine
Given IV
PROCEDURE
Bone Marrow Aspiration
Undergo bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsies
PROCEDURE
Bone Marrow Biopsy
Undergo bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsies
PROCEDURE
Chest Radiography
Undergo chest X-rays
DRUG
Cytarabine
Given IV
PROCEDURE
Echocardiography Test
Undergo ECHO
BIOLOGICAL
Filgrastim
Given SC
DRUG
Fludarabine
Given IV
PROCEDURE
Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Given via infusion
DRUG
Idarubicin
Given IV
PROCEDURE
Multigated Acquisition Scan
Undergo MUGA
PROCEDURE
Pheresis
Undergo apheresis
RADIATION
Total-Body Irradiation
Undergo TBI
PROCEDURE
Biospecimen Collection
Undergo collection of blood
Primary outcome measures
Non-relapse mortality (Phase 1)
Time frame: At day 100
Will evaluate whether intensification of fludarabine, cytarabine, filgrastim, and idarubicin/reduced intensity conditioning with the potential sequential addition of 4 escalating doses of decitabine prior to allografting with 4 Gy total-body irradiation would be feasible with an acceptable rate of toxicity and non-relapse mortality within the first 100 days following allograft, where day -100 non-relapse mortality is meant to encompass various measures of "toxicity".
Disease-free survival (Phase 2)
Time frame: At 1 year
Who can participate
This study lists these criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study coordinator reviews eligibility during screening — this page does not determine whether you qualify.
Inclusion criteria
- Age ≥ 18 years with an HCT-co-morbidity index (CI) ≤ 5 for patients over 60 years.
- AML (2022 World Health Organization \[WHO\] criteria) that is either primary refractory (as defined by failure of 2 cycles of 7+3-like chemotherapy, 1 cycle of high-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy, or at least 2 cycles of venetoclax in combination with other therapies) or is in untreated or unsuccessfully treated first or subsequent relapse. Patients in morphologic remission (i.e. \< 5% blasts in the bone marrow) but evidence of minimal residual disease (MRD) by multiparameter flow cytometry, cytogenetics/fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), or molecular means will be eligible for trial participation. Patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage (acute undifferentiated leukemia or mixed phenotype acute leukemia) that is either primary refractory or is in untreated or unsuccessfully treated first or subsequent relapse are also eligible.
- MDS and CMML: Subjects with previously treated MDS and CMML, defined as prior treatment with at least one hypomethylating agent (hypomethylating agent \[HMA\]; azacitidine, decitabine and/or decitabine-cedazuridine) whose disease progressed, relapsed, or was refractory to HMA treatment as follows: 1) patients who have failed at least 4 cycles of monotherapy with azacitidine, decitabine or decitabine-cedazuridine, 2) patients who received at least 2 cycles of HMA in combination with another therapeutic agent. Subjects with MDS and CMML who failed at least 1 cycle of induction chemotherapy will be also eligible. Patients with MDS or CMML who progress to secondary AML will be eligible if they received at least 4 cycles of HMA alone or 2 cycles of HMA in combination with another therapeutic agent.
- Patients may have previously received hypomethylating agents or chemotherapy with a mitoxantrone, idarubicin- or cladribine/fludarabine-based regimen for MDS or AML. If the patient has received cladribine-cytarabine-filgrastim-mitoxantrone (CLAG-M) or FLAG-Ida before and has been sensitive to this regimen, defined as MRD negative complete remission (CR) immediately after receiving the treatment and which lasts ≥ 1 year, eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the study principal investigator (PI).
- The use of hydroxyurea prior to initiation of study treatment is allowed. Patients with symptoms/signs of hyperleukocytosis, white blood cells (WBC) \> 100,000/μL or with concern for other complications of high tumor burden of high tumor dynamics (e.g. disseminated intravascular coagulation) can be treated with leukapheresis or may receive up to 2 doses of cytarabine (up to 500 mg/m\^2 per dose) prior to start of study treatment.
- Karnofsky score ≥ 70; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1.
- Adequate cardiac function defined as absence of decompensated congestive heart failure and/or uncontrolled arrhythmia and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 45%.
- Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 x Institutional Upper Limit of Normal unless elevation is thought to be due to hepatic infiltration by AML, Gilbert's syndrome, or hemolysis
- Adequate pulmonary function defined as absence of oxygen (O2) requirements and either diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) corrected ≥ 70%mmHg or DLCO corrected 60-69%mmHg and partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) ≥ 70mmHg.
- Creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min.
- Prior autologous HCT is permissible if relapse occurred \> 6 months after HCT.
- Prior TBI-containing allogeneic HCT up to 3 Gy is permissible if \> 6 months after HCT.
- A human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling/unrelated donor, mismatched unrelated donor or haploidentical donor for collection of stimulated peripheral blood stem cells must be identified and readily available.
- Ability to understand and sign a written informed consent document (or legal representative).
- SIBLING DONOR: Related to the patient and genotypically or phenotypically identical for HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1. Phenotypic identity must be confirmed by high-resolution typing.
- MATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: Matched for HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 by high resolution typing; OR mismatched for a single allele without antigen mismatching at HLA-A, B, or C as defined by high resolution typing but otherwise matched for HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 by high resolution typing.
- MATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: Donors are excluded when preexisting immunoreactivity is identified that would jeopardize donor hematopoietic cell engraftment. The recommended procedure for patients with 10 of 10 HLA allele level (phenotypic) match is to obtain panel reactive antibody (PRA) screens to class I and class II antigens for all patients before HCT. If the PRA shows \> 10% activity, then flow cytometric or B and T cell cytotoxic cross matches should be obtained. The donor should be excluded if any of the cytotoxic cross match assays are positive. For those patients with an HLA Class I allele mismatch, flow cytometric or B and T cell cytotoxic cross matches should be obtained regardless of the PRA results. A positive anti-donor cytotoxic crossmatch is an absolute donor
Exclusion criteria
- MATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: Patient and donor pairs homozygous at a mismatched allele in the graft rejection vector are considered a two-allele mismatch, i.e., the patient is A\*0101 and the donor is A\*0102, and this type of mismatch is not allowed.
- MISMATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: HLA-matching must be based on results of high resolution typing at HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQ.
- MISMATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: Mismatch for one HLA class I antigen with or without an additional mismatch for one HLA-class I allele but matched for HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQ.
- MISMATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: Mismatched for two HLA class I alleles but matched for HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQ.
- MISMATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: HLA class I HLA-A, -B, -C allele matched donors allowing for any one or two DRB1 and/or DQB1 antigen/allele mismatch.
- MISMATCHED UNRELATED DONOR: If the patient is homozygous at the mismatch HLA class I locus or II locus, the donor must be heterozygous at that locus and one allele must match the patient (i.e., patient is homozygous A\*01:01 and donor is heterozygous A\*01:01, A\*02:01). This mismatch will be considered a one-antigen mismatch for rejection only.
- HAPLOIDENTICAL DONOR: Donors must be haploidentical relatives of the patients. Donor-recipient compatibility will be tested through HLA typing at high resolution for the HLA loci (-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1). Donor and recipient should share at least 5/10 HLA loci.
- HAPLOIDENTICAL DONOR: Age ≥ 18 years.
- HAPLOIDENTICAL DONOR: Weight ≥ 40 kg.
- HAPLOIDENTICAL DONOR: Donor must meet the selection criteria as defined by the Foundation of the Accreditation of Cell Therapy (FACT) and will be screened per the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) guidelines.
- DONOR: In case of more available donors, selection criteria should include, in this order:
- For cytomegalovirus (CMV) seronegative recipients, a CMV seronegative donor
- Red Blood Cell compatibility
- Red blood cell (RBC) cross match compatible
- Minor ABO incompatibility
- Major ABO incompatibility
- DONOR: Donors will undergo diagnostic evaluation (clinical, laboratory test and imaging) as indicated per institutional guidelines. Exclusion Criteria:
- Active central nervous system (CNS) disease.
- Concomitant illness associated with a likely survival of \< 1 year.
- Active systemic fungal, bacterial, viral, or other infection, unless disease is under treatment with antimicrobials and/or controlled or stable. Patients with fever thought to be likely secondary to myeloid malignancy are eligible.
- Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to any study drug used in this trial.
- Pregnancy or lactation.
- Concurrent treatment with any other approved or investigational anti-leukemia agent.
- HAPLOIDENTICAL DONOR: Since detection of anti-donor-specific antibodies (anti-DSA) is associated with higher graft rejection rate, patients will be screened for anti-DSA pre-transplant. Patient with DSA mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) \< 5000 after desensitization treatment, will be considered eligible to participate in the study.
Where
- Seattle, Washington
Related conditions & keywords
Frequently asked questions
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a research study that tests new medical treatments, drugs, devices, or procedures to determine their safety and effectiveness. Trials are carefully designed and monitored to protect participants while advancing medical knowledge.
Is it safe to participate?
Clinical trials follow strict safety guidelines and ethical standards. Trials must be reviewed and approved, and participants are closely monitored by medical professionals throughout the study. You can withdraw at any time if you choose.
Will I be compensated?
Many clinical trials offer compensation for your time, travel expenses, and inconvenience. The specific compensation varies by study and will be discussed during the screening process. All study-related medical care is typically provided at no cost to participants.
Will I receive a placebo instead of treatment?
When effective treatment exists, participants typically receive either the standard treatment plus the study intervention, or the standard treatment plus placebo. You would not be denied effective care. Placebos are primarily used when no proven treatment is available, or in addition to standard care. Your trial consent form will clearly explain what treatments you may receive.
Can I leave a trial if I change my mind?
Absolutely. Participation in clinical trials is completely voluntary. You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.
How long does a clinical trial last?
Trial duration varies widely depending on the study design and purpose. Some trials last just a few weeks, while others may continue for months or years. The study coordinator will provide specific timeline information during your screening call.
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov · synced May 15, 2026 · Source of record for eligibility and locations