Asciminib as Initial Therapy for Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase

NCT ID: NCT05143840

Last Updated: 2026-01-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-04-22
• Study Completion Date: 2032-02-29

Brief Summary

This study is a multicenter Phase 2, non-randomized, open-label single-group frontline study administering asciminib in patients with newly diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia-Chronic Phase (CML-CP). The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of asciminib in newly diagnosed CML-CP. Patients will receive asciminib 80 mg orally once daily during the single asciminib phase. Response is determined by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) blood test during the study. Patients who have not achieved a response after 24 months (but no later than 36 months) of single agent asciminib will be offered the addition of a low dose tyrosine kinase inhibitor (low-TKI) namely dasatinib, imatinib, or nilotinib at the investigator's discretion. The following doses of the TKIs will be used:

1. Dasatinib 50 mg daily

2. Imatinib 300 mg daily

3. Nilotinib 300 mg daily

Patients will discontinue study treatment if they experience disease progression, or unacceptable toxicity.

Detailed Description

Asciminib is a potent allosteric inhibitor of BCR-ABL1 oncogene that confers resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Asciminib has potential to combine with TKIs to prevent the emergence of BCR-ABL1 mutations, increasing the depth of molecular response in CML-CP patients. Anticipated enrollment is 50 subjects across sites.

Primary Objective:

To estimate the proportion of patients with previously untreated CML-CP who attain BCR::ABL1 <0.01% (MR4.0) IS by RQ-PCR with single agent asciminib therapy.

Secondary Objectives:

1. To estimate the proportion of patients achieving molecular response at specific time points

2. To estimate the time to molecular response

3. To evaluate the duration of hematologic and molecular response to asciminib

4. To define the time to progression and overall survival for patients with CML in early CP treated with asciminib

5. To evaluate the safety profile of asciminib in patients with CML-CP

6. To evaluate the development of ABL mutations for patients with CML in early CP treated with asciminib

7. To analyze differences in response rates and in prognosis within different risk groups and patient characteristics

8. To evaluate patient-reported outcomes in patients with CML receiving asciminib

9. To investigate treatment-free remission after at least 2 years of sustained deep molecular remission for patients receiving single agent asciminib or combination (asciminib + low TKI)

Exploratory objectives:

1. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of concomitant use of low TKI with asciminib in patients who have not achieved MR4.5.

2. To evaluate the rate of successful treatment discontinuation for patients using the combination of asciminib and low TKI

3. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of concomitant use of lowTKI with asciminib in patients who experience treatment failure at any time with single agent asciminib

4. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of concomitant use of lowTKI with asciminib in patients who have not achieved an optimal response after 12 months of single agent asciminib

5. Evaluate the role of Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) in predicting TFR

6. Evaluating the correlation between the gene expression signature of patients and the chances of achieving MMR and DMR

7. Evaluate whether B, NK and T cells DNA mutation and RNA expression are relevant and whether they can predict response in patients with CML using single cell analysis.

Subjects must meet all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria of the study. No enrollment waivers will be granted. After successful screening, subjects will be enrolled and treatment will start within 7 days of enrollment. Eligible subjects will begin asciminib on cycle 1 day 1 of the trial. After 2 years (but no later than 3 years), subjects will be offered the addition of taking nilotinib, dasatinib, or imatinib with asciminib if a molecular response is not met (PCR blood test).

Duration of each participant is expected to take approximately 5 years on treatment and up to a total of 8 years if attempting treatment free remission.

Regimen Description

Asciminib 80 mg Oral Once a day 4 weeks (28 days) Nilotinib 300 mg* Oral Once a day 4 weeks (28 days) Dasatinib 50 mg* Oral Once a day 4 weeks (28 days) Imatinib 300 mg* Oral Once a day 4 weeks (28 days)

*Nilotinib, dasatinib, or imatinib will be taken if indicated.

Dose levels and dose modifications of the study drugs will be made per protocol.

Conditions

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Phase; Adult CML; Leukemia, Myeloid; Leukemia,Myeloid, Chronic

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Single Agent Asciminib Arm

Asciminib 80mg Asciminib will be taken orally once a day starting cycle 1 day 1 for up to 24 months during the single agent asciminib phase.

Patients will receive asciminib orally 80mg orally once a day starting cycle 1 day 1 for up to 24 months during the single agent asciminib phase.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Single Agent Asciminib

Intervention Type: DRUG

taken orally once a day starting cycle 1 day 1 for up to 24 months during the single agent asciminib phase. Asciminib is a potent allosteric inhibitor of BCR::ABL1.

Adding Low TKI

TKI should begin within 28-days of obtaining central eligibility confirmation. This phase II trial will use single agent asciminib 80 mg PO daily during the single agent asciminib phase. All eligible subjects will begin asciminib on cycle 1 day 1 of this trial.

Low dose tyrosine kinase inhibitor (lowTKI) (dasatinib 50 mg daily or imatinib 300 mg daily or nilotinib 300 mg daily) at investigators discretion, may be added to asciminib in the following situations:

• Patients who have treatment failure at any time based on ELN criteria (Appendix 7)
• Patients who have a warning response after 12 months of single agent asciminib based on ELN criteria (Appendix 7)
• Patients who have not achieved MR4.5 after 24 months, but no later than 36 months, of single agent asciminib.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Low TKI

Intervention Type: COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Low dose tyrosine kinase inhibitor (lowTKI) (dasatinib 50 mg daily or imatinib 300 mg daily or nilotinib 300 mg daily) at investigators discretion, may be added to asciminib in the following situations:

• Patients who have treatment failure at any time based on ELN criteria (Appendix 7)
• Patients who have a warning response after 12 months of single agent asciminib based on ELN criteria (Appendix 7)
• Patients who have not achieved MR4.5 after 24 months, but no later than 36 months, of single agent asciminib.

Elective treatment free remission arm:

.Elective treatment free remission arm: Once central eligibility has been obtained the patient should discontinue asciminib and if applicable lowTKI within 14 days.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Elective Free Treatment

Intervention Type: OTHER

Once central eligibility has been obtained the patient should discontinue asciminib and if applicable lowTKI within 14 days.

Interventions

Single Agent Asciminib

taken orally once a day starting cycle 1 day 1 for up to 24 months during the single agent asciminib phase. Asciminib is a potent allosteric inhibitor of BCR::ABL1.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Low TKI

Low dose tyrosine kinase inhibitor (lowTKI) (dasatinib 50 mg daily or imatinib 300 mg daily or nilotinib 300 mg daily) at investigators discretion, may be added to asciminib in the following situations:

• Patients who have treatment failure at any time based on ELN criteria (Appendix 7)
• Patients who have a warning response after 12 months of single agent asciminib based on ELN criteria (Appendix 7)
• Patients who have not achieved MR4.5 after 24 months, but no later than 36 months, of single agent asciminib.

Intervention Type: COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Elective Free Treatment

Once central eligibility has been obtained the patient should discontinue asciminib and if applicable lowTKI within 14 days.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

ABL001

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age ≥18 years old

2. Willing and able to give informed consent

3. Newly diagnosed with CML in chronic phase within 6 months from confirmed diagnosis via bone marrow biopsy/aspirate and have either the b3a2 (e14a2) or b2a2 (e13a2) variants that give rise to the p210 BCR::ABL1 protein. Subtype classification whether b3a2 (e14a2) or b2a2 (e13a2) is not required for study eligibility.

4. Minimal prior CML therapy with a TKI for less than or equal to 30 days. Treatment with hydroxyurea, busulfan, anagrelide or other non-specific chemotherapy agents is allowed with no time restrictions within the eligible time from diagnosis.

5. ECOG performance status 0-2 (appendix 1)

6. Adequate organ function:

• AST and ALT < 3 times the institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
• eGFR ≥ 30 mL/min as calculated using the 2021 chronic kidney disease epidemiology (CKD-EPI) creatinine equation (https://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/gfr_calculator)
• Total bilirubin < 1.5 times the institutional ULN or < 3.0 x the institutional ULN with Gilbert Syndrome (unless direct bilirubin is within normal limits)

7. Adequately controlled blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure of <140 mmHq and diastolic of <90 mmHg, at the time of enrollment.

8. Lipase ≤ 1.5 x ULN. For lipase > ULN - ≤ 1.5 x ULN, value should be considered not clinically significant and not associated with risk factors for acute pancreatitis.

9. Creatine phosphokinase < 2.5 x ULN

10. Female patients must meet one of the following:

1. Postmenopausal for at least one year before the screening visit,

2. Surgically sterile

3. If they are of childbearing potential, agree to practice two effective methods of contraception from the time of signing of the informed consent form through 90 days after the last dose of study drug,

4. Must also adhere to the guidelines of any treatment-specific pregnancy prevention program, if applicable

5. Agree to practice true abstinence when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject. (Periodic abstinence [e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, postovulation methods] and withdrawal are not acceptable contraception methods.)

11. Male patients, even if surgically sterilized (i.e., status post vasectomy), must agree to one of the following:

1. Practice effective barrier contraception during the entire study treatment period and through 90 days after the last study drug dose

2. Must also adhere to the guidelines of any treatment-specific pregnancy prevention program, if applicable

3. Agree to practice true abstinence when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject. (Periodic abstinence [e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, postovulation methods] and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.)

Exclusion Criteria

1. Patients with accelerated or blast phase CML (refer to appendix 4)

2. Active second malignancy requiring active treatment

3. History of recent (within 12 months) acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis

4. Subjects who have previously received treatment with asciminib.

5. Subjects with PLT count < 50,000 mm3 or ANC of < 500 mm3 or Hemoglobin < 8 g/dL

6. Cardiac or cardiac repolarization abnormality, including any of the following:

1. History within 6 months prior to starting study treatment of myocardial infarction (MI), angina pectoris, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

2. Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias (e.g., ventricular tachycardia), complete left bundle branch block, high-grade AV block (e.g., bifascicular block, Mobitz type II and third degree AV block)

3. QTcF at screening greater than or equal to 450 msec (male patients), greater than or equal to 460 msec (female patients) unless patient has a pacemaker

4. Long QT syndrome, family history of idiopathic sudden death or congenital long QT syndrome, or any of the following:

i. Risk factors for Torsades de Pointes (TdP) including uncorrected hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia, history of cardiac failure, or history of clinically significant/symptomatic bradycardia ii. Concomitant medication(s) with a "Known risk of Torsades de Pointes" per wwwcrediblemeds.org/ that cannot be discontinued or replace 7 days prior to starting study drug by safe alternative medication.

iii. Inability to determine the QTcF interval

7. Pregnant or lactating

8. Taking a strong inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4 or CYP3A4 substrates with narrow therapeutic index (refer to appendix 6) at time of enrollment

9. Unable to comply with lab appointment schedule and PRO assessments

10. Another investigational drug within 4 weeks of enrollment

11. Any serious medical or psychiatric illness that could, in the investigator's opinion, interfere with the completion of treatment according to this protocol

12. Patient has undergone a prior allogeneic stem cell transplant

13. Known clinical history of active HBV infection

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

Sponsors

H. Jean Khoury Cure CML Consortium

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Augusta University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Jorge Cortes, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Augusta University

Locations

Winship Cancer Institute Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Karmanos Cancer Institute

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Buffalo, New York, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, New York, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Huntsman Cancer Institute

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Froedtert Hospital & the Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

James Sonnenberg

Role: CONTACT

jsonnenberg@augusta.edu

910-619-2597

GCC Clinical Trials Office

Role: CONTACT

Cancer_Center_Trials@augusta.edu

706-721-2505

Facility Contacts

Anthony Hunter, MD

Role: primary

anthony.michael.hunter@emory.edu

(404) 778-1748

Kelly Jenkins, MSN, RN

Role: primary

kejenkins@augusta.edu

706-721-1206

Role: backup

Cancer_Center_Trials@augusta.edu

706-721-2505

Sharon Prokop, RN, BSN

Role: primary

prokops@karmanos.org

313-576-9369

Role: primary

LeukResearch@roswellpark.org

716-845-7127

Michael Mauro, MD

Role: primary

MedLeukMauro@mskcc.org

646-608-3744

Braxton Smith

Role: primary

Braxton.Smith@hci.utah.edu

801-213-8431

Ehab Atallah, MD

Role: primary

eatallah@mcw.edu

414-805-4600

Other Identifiers

CABL001AUS06T

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

HJKC3-0004

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id