A Study of Ponatinib in Japanese Participants With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and Ph+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

This multi-center, phase 1/2, open-label study will consist of two phases. The first will be a dose escalation phase employing a modified 3+3 design with two dose cohorts (30mg and 45mg). After 6 patients complete the first cycle in a cohort, safety events will be evaluated before opening the next dose cohort. Patients will continue on treatment as long as it is tolerated and disease progression has not occurred. Phase 2 will occur at the recommended dose determined in phase 1 in an additional 25 patients. Another 3 patients will be dosed at 15mg for collection of pharmacokinetic data. These patients may also escalate to the recommended dose and be assessed for efficacy and safety as phase 2 patients.

Efficacy measures include molecular, cytogenetic, and hematologic response rates at various time points; time to response; duration of response; and survival follow-up. Safety measures include routine physical and laboratory evaluations, adverse event monitoring, and ECGs. Other measures include mutation testing and molecular genetic assessment. Accrual is expected to take approximately 12 months, and patients will be followed for survival for up to 60 months from the last dose of study drug; therefore, the estimated duration of the trial is 72 months.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients must have CML in any phase (CP, AP, or BP of any phenotype) or Ph+ ALL, as follows:

• All patients must have screening bone marrow (BM) cytogenetics with conventional banding performed within 42 days prior to beginning treatment.
• Examination of at least 20 metaphases is required in patients in CP. If less than 20 metaphases are examined, the BM aspirate must be repeated.
• Adequate BM aspirate with differential cell counts is required in patients with AP, BP, or Ph+ ALL. If an adequate aspirate is not obtained, the aspirate must be repeated.
• Be previously treated with and resistant, or intolerant, as defined in the protocol, to either dasatinib or nilotinib for CML or at least one TKI for Ph+ ALL, regardless of whether dasatinib or nilotinib or the prior TKI were used to treat newly diagnosed or resistant patients.
• Must be ≥ 18 years old.
• Provide written informed consent.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2.
• Minimum life expectancy of 3 months or more.
• Adequate renal function defined as serum creatinine < 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) for institution.
• Adequate hepatic function defined as:

• Total bilirubin < 1.5 × ULN
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT [SGPT]) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST [SGOT]) < 2.5 × ULN for institution (< 5 × ULN if liver involvement with leukemia)
• Prothrombin time < 1.5 × ULN
• Normal pancreatic status defined as:

• Lipase ≤ 1.5 × ULN for institution
• Amylase ≤ 1.5 × ULN for institution
• Normal QT interval corrected (Fridericia) (QTcF) interval on screening ECG evaluation, defined as QTcF of ≤ 450 ms in males or ≤ 470 ms in females.
• For females of childbearing potential, a negative pregnancy test must be documented prior to enrolment.
• Female and male patients who are of childbearing potential must agree to use an effective form of contraception with their sexual partners throughout participation in this study.
• Ability to comply with study procedures, in the Investigator's opinion.

Exclusion criteria

Patients are not eligible for participation in the study if they meet any of the following exclusion criteria:

• Received TKI therapy within 7 days prior to receiving the first dose of ponatinib, or have not recovered (> grade 1 by National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0 [NCI CTCAE v.4.0]) from adverse events (AEs) (except alopecia) due to agents previously administered.
• Received other therapies as follows:

• For CP and AP patients, received interferon, cytarabine, or immunotherapy within 14 days, or any other cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or investigational therapy within 28 days prior to receiving the first dose of ponatinib.
• For BP patients, received chemotherapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of ponatinib. Otherwise, 2a applies.
• For Ph+ ALL patients, received corticosteroids within 24 hours before the first dose of ponatinib and other chemotherapy within 7 days prior to the first dose of ponatinib. Otherwise, 2a applies.
• All patients are excluded if they have not recovered (> grade 1 by NCI CTCAE v.4.0) from AEs (except alopecia) due to agents previously administered.
• Underwent autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplant < 60 days prior to receiving the first dose of ponatinib; any evidence of ongoing graft versus-host disease (GVHD) or GVHD requiring immunosuppressive therapy.
• Take medications that are known to be associated with Torsades de Pointes.
• Require concurrent treatment with immunosuppressive agents, other than corticosteroids prescribed for a short course of therapy.
• Have previously been treated with ponatinib.
• Patients with CP-CML are excluded if they are in CCyR.
• Patients with CP-CML are excluded if a baseline BM aspirate adequate for conventional cytogenetic analysis with 20 metaphases examined is not available.
• Patients with AP-CML, BP-CML, or Ph+ ALL are excluded if they are in MaHR.
• Patients with AP-CML, BP-CML, or Ph+ ALL are excluded if a baseline BM aspirate adequate for cell count and differential report is not available. Patients with a fibrotic marrow or dry tap that does not yield adequate cell counts for diagnosis are not evaluable for classification, and endpoints are not eligible.
• Have active central nervous system (CNS) disease as evidenced by cytology or pathology. In the absence of clinical CNS disease, lumbar puncture is not required. History itself of CNS involvement is not exclusionary if CNS has been cleared with a documented negative lumbar puncture.
• Have significant or active cardiovascular disease, specifically including, but not restricted to:

• Myocardial infarction within 3 months prior to first dose of ponatinib
• History of clinically significant atrial arrhythmia or any ventricular arrhythmia
• Unstable angina within 3 months prior to first dose of ponatinib
• Congestive heart failure within 3 months prior to first dose of ponatinib
• Have a significant bleeding disorder unrelated to CML or Ph+ ALL.
• Have a history of pancreatitis or alcohol abuse.
• Have uncontrolled hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides > 450 mg/dL).
• Have malabsorption syndrome or other gastrointestinal illness that could affect absorption of orally administered ponatinib.
• Have been diagnosed with another primary malignancy within the past 3 years (except for non-melanoma skin cancer or cervical cancer in situ, or controlled prostate cancer, which are allowed within 3 years).
• Are pregnant or lactating. Women of childbearing potential must agree to an effective contraception from the time of signing the informed consent through the Follow-up Visit, approximately 30 days after last dose of ponatinib.
• Underwent major surgery (with the exception of minor surgical procedures, such as catheter placement or BM biopsy) within 14 days prior to first dose of ponatinib.
• Have ongoing or active infection (including known history of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B virus [HBV], or hepatitis C virus [HCV]). Testing for these viruses is not required in the absence of history.
• Suffer from any condition or illness that, in the opinion of the Investigator or the Medical Monitor, would compromise patients safety or interfere with the evaluation of the safety of the study drug.