SL-401 in Combination With Azacitidine or Azacitidine/Venetoclax in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) or Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN)

NCT ID: NCT03113643

Last Updated: 2025-11-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 72 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-06-26
• Study Completion Date: 2027-05-31

Brief Summary

This research study is studying a drug as a possible treatment for diagnosis of AML, BPDCN and high-risk MDS.

The interventions involved in this study are:

• SL-401
• Azacitidine
• Venetoclax

Detailed Description

This research study is a Phase I clinical trial, which tests the safety of an investigational intervention and also tries to define the appropriate dose of the investigational intervention to use for further studies. "Investigational" means that the intervention is being studied.

The FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has approved azacitidine and venetoclax as a treatment option for AML. However, the combination of these two drugs with SL-401 has not been FDA approved.

The combination of SL-401, azacitidine and venetoclax has not been FDA approved for BPDCN. However, SL-401 has been FDA approved for BPDCN.

The combination of SL-401 and azacitidine has not been FDA approved for BPDCN.

In this research study, the study drug SL-401 will be combined with the standard dose of azacitidine (for MDS patients) or azacitidine/venetoclax (for AML and BPDCN patients). The goal of this research study is to try and determine the safest, highest dose of study drug, SL-401, in combination with azacitidine or azacitidine/venetoclax that can be given to patients with AML, BPDCN or high-risk MDS. SL-401 works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer stem cells, which are the undeveloped cells which can develop into cancer cells. The goals of this research study are to look at if this combination works to help treat your cancer and if there is any lasting effect of this combination. This study will also look at how the SL-401, in combination with azacitidine or azacitidine/venetoclax, affects certain proteins in your blood and bone marrow. SL-401 has been given to patients with AML, and MDS in the past, but this is the first time it will be given in combination with another drug.

Conditions

Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Myelodysplastic Syndrome; Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

SL-401+ Azacitidine

SL-401 will be administered every 4 weeks, on a 28 day cycle; SL-401 will be given intravenously; Azacitidine will be administered every 4 weeks, on a 28 day cycle; Azacitidine will be given intravenously or subcutaneously

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Azacitidine

Intervention Type: DRUG

Chemotherapy

SL-401

Intervention Type: DRUG

SL-401 works by targeting leukemia cells (blasts), and also possibly by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer stem cells, which are the undeveloped cells which can develop into cancer cells.

SL-401+ Azacitidine + Venetoclax

SL-401 will be administered every 4 weeks, on a 28 day cycle; SL-401 will be given intravenously; Azacitidine will be administered every 4 weeks, on a 28 day cycle; Azacitidine will be given intravenously or subcutaneously; Venetoclax will be administered for 21 days on a 28 day cycle; Venetoclax will be taken orally

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Venetoclax

Intervention Type: DRUG

Venetoclax is a BH3-mimetic. Venetoclax blocks the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein, leading to programmed cell death of CLL cells. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in some lymphoid malignancies has sometimes shown to be linked with increased resistance to chemotherapy.

Azacitidine

Intervention Type: DRUG

Chemotherapy

SL-401

Intervention Type: DRUG

SL-401 works by targeting leukemia cells (blasts), and also possibly by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer stem cells, which are the undeveloped cells which can develop into cancer cells.

Interventions

Venetoclax

Venetoclax is a BH3-mimetic. Venetoclax blocks the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein, leading to programmed cell death of CLL cells. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in some lymphoid malignancies has sometimes shown to be linked with increased resistance to chemotherapy.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Azacitidine

Chemotherapy

Intervention Type: DRUG

SL-401

SL-401 works by targeting leukemia cells (blasts), and also possibly by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer stem cells, which are the undeveloped cells which can develop into cancer cells.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Vidaza; Venclyxto, Venclexta

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Histologically confirmed diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) [Cohort B] or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) [Cohort A] or BPDCN [Cohort C] per 2016 WHO criteria

CD123 / IL3RA expression on the subject's AML or MDS blasts or BPDCN cells determined locally within 3 months of first protocol treatment

Age >= 18 years with relapsed or refractory AML (hydroxyurea is not considered a prior treatment regimen) [Cohort B]

OR

Age >= 18 years with treatment-naïve AML who decline intensive induction chemotherapy or who are unfit due to co-morbidity or other factors (see APPENDIX A for unfitness definitions) (hydroxyurea is not considered a prior treatment regimen) [Cohort B]

OR

Age >= 18 years with MDS and > 10% myeloblasts in the bone marrow [Cohort A]

OR

Age >= 18 years with relapsed or refractory BPDCN (hydroxyurea is not considered a prior treatment regimen) [Cohort C]

Adequate organ function as defined by:

Albumin > 3.2 g/dL (in the absence of receipt of intravenous albumin in the previous 72 hours) Serum creatinine < 1.5x ULN Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 2.5x ULN Total bilirubin < 1.5x ULN (if thought to be > 1.5x ULN due to Gilbert's disease or the patient's AML, must discuss with the PI) Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) < 2.5x ULN Left ventricular ejection fraction > institutional lower limit of normal by MUGA scan or echocardiogram within 30 days of first protocol treatment

[Cohorts B and C] WBC < 20,000 / uL on day of first therapy, cytoreduction may be achieved using hydroxyurea

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Able to adhere to study visit schedule and other protocol requirements including follow-up for survival assessment

Women of child-bearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception for the duration of study participation and for 2 months after completion of protocol treatment.

Men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception for the duration of study participation and 2 months after completion of protocol treatment.

Exclusion Criteria

Prior treatment with venetoclax [Cohorts B or C], unless it was last taken >2 months before protocol therapy

Diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia

Received treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, or biologic cancer therapy within 14 days of first protocol treatment, except for intrathecal chemotherapy. Prior and concurrent hydroxyurea is permitted.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) within 60 days of screening or active graft versus-host-disease

Active CNS involvement by AML or BPDCN. Screening lumbar puncture (LP) required for patients with BPDCN. If history of treated CNS involvement, must have had two consecutive negative LPs since last CNS involvement, which may include the screening LP

Known positive status for HIV infection; known active hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection

Clinically significant cardiopulmonary disease including uncontrolled or NYHA class 3 or 4 congestive heart failure, uncontrolled angina, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled arrhythmia, myocardial infarction or stroke within 6 months of first protocol treatment, or QTc > 480 ms

Patients with known active advanced malignant solid tumors are excluded (except for basal or squamous skin cancers, or carcinomas in situ). Patients with additional hematologic malignancies that require treatment are excluded.

Pregnant women are excluded from this study because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in the developing fetus with SL-401, azacitidine, and venetoclax (negative urine or serum pregnancy test required within 14 days of Cycle 1, Day 1). Because nursing infants have unknown potential for adverse events secondary to treatment of the mother, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with SL-401, azacitidine, and venetoclax.

Patients with uncontrolled infection shall not be enrolled until infection is treated and brought under control. Patients with active infection are permitted to enroll provided that the infection is controlled

[Cohorts B and C] Patients with gastrointestinal (GI) tract disease causing the inability to take oral medication, malabsorption syndrome, a requirement for intravenous (IV) alimentation, prior surgical procedures affecting absorption, uncontrolled inflammatory GI disease (e.g., Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)

[Cohorts B and C] Patients on strong CYP3A inducers within 7 days of first dose of study treatment.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Stemline Therapeutics, Inc.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Andrew Lane

Andrew Lane, MD, PhD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Andrew Lane, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Locations

City of Hope

Duarte, California, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Andrew Lane, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

andrew_lane@dfci.harvard.edu

857-215-1405

Veronica Zehnder

Role: CONTACT

veronica_zehnder@dfci.harvard.edu

Facility Contacts

Anthony Stein, MD

Role: primary

AStein@coh.org

626-359-8111

Andrew Lane, MD, PhD

Role: primary

andrew_lane@dfci.harvard.edu

Veronica Zehnder

Role: backup

veronica_zehnder@dfci.harvard.edu

Naveen Pemmaraju, MD

Role: primary

npemmaraju@mdanderson.org

713-792-4956

References

Lane AA, Garcia JS, Raulston EG, Garzon JL, Galinsky I, Baxter EW, Leonard R, DeAngelo DJ, Luskin MR, Reilly CR, Stahl M, Stone RM, Vedula RS, Wadleigh MM, Winer ES, Mughal T, Brooks C, Gupta IV, Stevenson KE, Neuberg DS, Ren S, Keating J, Konopleva M, Stein A, Pemmaraju N. Phase 1b trial of tagraxofusp in combination with azacitidine with or without venetoclax in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Adv. 2024 Feb 13;8(3):591-602. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011721.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 38052038 (View on PubMed)

Wang SY, Thomassen K, Kurch L, Opitz S, Franke GN, Bach E, Platzbecker U, Kayser S. Combination of Tagraxofusp and Azacitidine Is an Effective Option for Relapsed Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2021 Jul;21(7):e579-e582. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2021.02.008. Epub 2021 Mar 2. No abstract available.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33795208 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

17-056

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id