Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06923488

Leflunomide in Combination With Decitabine for Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Myelodysplastic Syndromes

The goal of this interventional clinical trial is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of leflunomide in combination with decitabine as treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory myelodysplastic syndromes (R/R MDS).

The main question this study aims to answer are to evaluate and estimate the maximum tolerated doses and/or biologically active doses of the combination of leflunomide-decitabine in participants.

Decitabine will be administered at a dose of 20 mg/m2 by continuous intravenous infusion over one hour repeated daily for 5 days with repeating cycle every 4 weeks. Leflunomide is administered orally at 10 to 20 mg once daily (without a loading dose) for 14 to 21 days, as part of a 28-day treatment cycle in adult subjects with R/R MDS. After 12 cycles (study duration) responding patients can continue progression with the assigned doses.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Myelodysplastic Syndromes Bone Marrow Diseases Disease Attributes Hematologic Diseases Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Recurrence

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1 / Phase 2

Primary location

West Virginia University Cancer Institute

Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States

Location status: Recruiting

About this study

This is a phase I/II dose-escalation trial to estimate the activity of leflunomide in combination with decitabine for treatment of relapsed or refractory MDS. Leflunomide will be administered orally daily with decitabine IV for 5 days as part of a 28-day treatment cycle in adult subjects with R/R MDS. Patients who have been previously treated with decitabine will be eligible. The trial will consist of dose escalation to evaluate safety and tolerability of leflunomide in combination with decitabine. There will be no intra-patient dose escalation or reduction. In the event of an RLT, one or both drugs (leflunomide or decitabine) could be withheld at the discretion of the treating physician and on the basis of the expected adverse event. The period for determination of RLT will be from the first day of treatment until 30 days after receiving the first dose of leflunomide + decitabine. After 12 cycles (study duration) responding patients can continue progression with the assigned doses.

Staging studies, including bone marrow biopsy and complete blood counts will be performed within 45 days prior to study enrollment and again within 30 days after completing Cycle 3, Cycle 6, and Cycle 12 and within 30 days of discontinuing study treatment. A repeat bone marrow biopsy will be performed at the end of the study (Cycle 12). Patients will be followed every 3 months for 2 years after completion of study.

Study assessments will also include monitoring of all toxicities and adverse events. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 5.0, will be used for grading adverse events and all toxicities

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient has pathologically confirmed diagnosis of MDS
  • Patient has currently measurable disease meeting the following criteria:
  • Bone marrow biopsy with more than 5% blasts, AND
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1,000/mcL, and/or platelet count less than 100,000/mcL and/or hemoglobin levels less than 10g/dL
  • Patient has received one prior treatment with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DNMTi), also commonly called hypomethylating agent (HMA). Patients whose MDS has IDH1/IDH2 mutations should have received at least one available IDH1/IDH2 inhibitor
  • Patient has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status less than or equal to 2
  • Patient has the following required baseline laboratory data (eligibility can be based on local lab results):
  • Total serum bilirubin level less than or equal to 2 times ULN
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) greater than or equal to 45 mL/min/1.73 m2
  • Patients who have undergone alloHSCT are eligible if they are more than 28 days post stem cell infusion, have no evidence of GVHD > Grade 1, and are more than a week off all immunosuppressive therapy
  • If a female of childbearing potential, the patient has a negative serum or urine pregnancy test result within 7 days prior to the first dose of treatment. Women of non-childbearing potential are those who are postmenopausal greater than one year or who have had a bilateral tubal ligation or hysterectomy
  • If female of childbearing potential or a male patient, patient agrees to use an effective contraceptive method from the time of informed consent, during the course of the study, and for 3 months following the last dose of treatment
  • Patient understands and voluntarily signs the written informed consent prior to any study-specific procedures. A copy of the signed informed consent form will be retained by the treating institution

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients receiving any other investigational agents, or concurrent chemotherapy or immunotherapy
  • Patients with progression to acute myeloid leukemia
  • Patients with other malignancies requiring systemic chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy in the last four weeks
  • Patients with uncontrolled bacterial, viral or fungal infections (undergoing appropriate treatment and with progression of clinical symptoms)
  • Patients with active or latent tuberculosis
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that per Principal Investigator's judgment would limit compliance with study requirements
  • Females who are pregnant or breast feeding
  • Any other clinical conditions that in the opinion of the investigator would make the subject unsuitable for the study

Treatment and study plan

Leflunomide 10mg

Drug

Leflunomide 10mg tablet

Other names: Arava

Leflunomide 20mg

Drug

Leflunomide 20mg tablet

Other names: Arava

decitabine

Drug

Decitabine dose of 20 mg/m2

Other names: Dacogen

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of incidences of regimen limiting toxicities (RLTs)

    Time frame: Date of first treatment up to 13 months

    Percentages of incidences of RLTs defined as:

    • A need to reduce the dose of one or both of the treatments
    • Discontinue the treatment due to dose limiting toxicities, AE/SAE
    • Be withheld at the discretion of the treating physician and on the basis of the expected adverse event

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percentage of Complete Remission (CR) Rate (3rd cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 3rd cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of patients achieving complete remission (CR) rate defined as bone marrow (BM): <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist), and peripheral blood (PB): hemoglobin (Hb) ≥10 g/dL, platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L; blasts 0%. Full cytogenetic clearance of baseline abnormalities (complete cytogenetic response)

  2. Percentage of Complete Remission (CR) Rate (6th cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 6th cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of patients achieving complete remission (CR) rate defined as bone marrow (BM): <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist), and peripheral blood (PB): hemoglobin (Hb) ≥10 g/dL, platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L; blasts 0%. Full cytogenetic clearance of baseline abnormalities (complete cytogenetic response)

  3. Percentage of Complete Remission (CR) Rate (12th cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days of the end of the 12th cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of patients achieving complete remission (CR) rate defined as bone marrow (BM): <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist), and peripheral blood (PB): hemoglobin (Hb) ≥10 g/dL, platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L; blasts 0%. Full cytogenetic clearance of baseline abnormalities (complete cytogenetic response)

  4. CR + complete remission with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) (3rd cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 3rd cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of participants that achieve CR + complete remission with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) - defined as BM: <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist) and PB: Not meeting criteria for CR or CRL, no Hb threshold required, platelets ≥50 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥0.5 × 109/L; blasts 0%

  5. CR + complete remission with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) (6th cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 6th cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of participants that achieve CR + complete remission with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) - defined as BM: <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist) and PB: Not meeting criteria for CR or CRL, no Hb threshold required, platelets ≥50 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥0.5 × 109/L; blasts 0%

  6. CR + complete remission with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) (12th cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 12th cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of participants that achieve CR + complete remission with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) - defined as BM: <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist) and PB: Not meeting criteria for CR or CRL, no Hb threshold required, platelets ≥50 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥0.5 × 109/L; blasts 0%

  7. CR + CRh + complete remission with limited count recovery (CRL) including CR bilineage (CRbi) and CR unilineage (CRuni) (3rd cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 3rd cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of participants that achieve CR + CRh + complete remission with limited count recovery (CRL) including CR bilineage (CRbi) and CR unilineage (CRuni) - defined as BM: <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist), and PB: blasts 0%; CRuni: PB, not meeting CR but only 1 of the following: Hb ≥10 g/dL; platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L; CRbi: PB, not meeting CR but only 2 of the following: Hb ≥10 g/dL; platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L

  8. CR + CRh + complete remission with limited count recovery (CRL) including CR bilineage (CRbi) and CR unilineage (CRuni) (6th cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 6th cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of participants that achieve CR + CRh + complete remission with limited count recovery (CRL) including CR bilineage (CRbi) and CR unilineage (CRuni) - defined as BM: <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist), and PB: blasts 0%; CRuni: PB, not meeting CR but only 1 of the following: Hb ≥10 g/dL; platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L; CRbi: PB, not meeting CR but only 2 of the following: Hb ≥10 g/dL; platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L

  9. CR + CRh + complete remission with limited count recovery (CRL) including CR bilineage (CRbi) and CR unilineage (CRuni) (12th cycle)

    Time frame: Within 30 days following the end of the 12th cycle (cycle = 28 days)

    Percentage of participants that achieve CR + CRh + complete remission with limited count recovery (CRL) including CR bilineage (CRbi) and CR unilineage (CRuni) - defined as BM: <5% myeloblasts (dysplasia may persist), and PB: blasts 0%; CRuni: PB, not meeting CR but only 1 of the following: Hb ≥10 g/dL; platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L; CRbi: PB, not meeting CR but only 2 of the following: Hb ≥10 g/dL; platelets ≥100 × 109/L; neutrophils ≥1.0 × 109/L

  10. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT)

    Time frame: Enrollment up to 3 years

    The percentage of participants that proceed to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT).

  11. Overall Survival (OS)

    Time frame: From first treatment up to 3 years

    Overall Survival (OS) defined for all patients of the trial; measured from the first day of receiving study drugs on the clinical trial to the date of death by any cause

  12. Event-free survival (EFS)

    Time frame: From first treatment up to 3 years

    Event-free survival (EFS) defined for all patients of the trial; measured from the first day of receiving study drugs to the date of treatment failure, or relapse from CR or CRh or CRL, or death by any cause. Treatment is defined as failure to achieve CR or CRh or CRL after at least three cycles of treatment; the date of treatment failure is defined as date of marrow evaluation after the last course of treatment.

  13. Relapse-free survival (RFS) defined only for patients achieving CR or CRh or CRL;

    Time frame: From the date of achievement of a CR/CRh/CRL up to 3 years

    Relapse-free survival (RFS) defined only for patients achieving CR or CRh or CRL; measured from the date of achievement of a CR/CRh/CRL until the date of relapse or death from any cause; RFS and disease-free survival (DFS) have been used with the same definition.

  14. Progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

    Time frame: Enrollment up to 3 years

    Percentage of participant progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

  15. Percentage of Red Blood Cell transfusion independence

    Time frame: Date of first treatment up to 3 years

    The percentage of participants that achieve the conversion from red blood cell transfusion dependence to transfusion independence. Transfusion Independence is defined as a period of time, usually 8 weeks, with no transfusion between first dose of study drug and the last dose of study drug + 30 days.

Other outcomes

  1. Percentage Clonal Evolution

    Time frame: Enrollment up to 3 years

    Percentage of participants with clonal evolution. Defined as mutations in founding clone, expansion of subclone(s), and convergent clonal evolution of signaling gene mutations; assessed by chromosomal analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and mutational analysis by next generation sequencing in bone marrow evaluation.

  2. Percentage of platelet transfusion independence

    Time frame: Date of first treatment up to 3 years

    The percentage of participants that achieve the conversion from platelet transfusion dependence to transfusion independence (persons who transition from needing regular platelet transfusions to no longer requiring them).

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Konstantinos Sdrimas, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

304-598-4520

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

West Virginia University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Phase I/II Study of Leflunomide in Combination With Decitabine for Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Apr 11, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 23, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.