NCT04551131

Brief Summary

This study is a multi-site Phase Ib/II, 2-arm non-randomized clinical trial to determine the efficacy and tolerability of a response-adapted regimen combining ruxolitinib, dexamethasone, and etoposide as Frontline therapy for patients with newly diagnosed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or as Salvage therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory HLH. Primary Objective

  • To determine the efficacy and tolerability of a response-adapted ruxolitinib-containing regimen for patients with newly diagnosed HLH. Secondary Objectives
  • To describe the efficacy and tolerability of a response-adapted ruxolitinib-containing regimen for patients with relapsed/refractory HLH.
  • To describe the overall response and outcome for patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory HLH who are treated with this response-adapted ruxolitinib-containing regimen. Exploratory Objectives
  • To estimate the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of ruxolitinib, assess covariates of ruxolitinib pharmacokinetics, and test whether the drug's effectiveness is correlated with systemic drug exposure.
  • To query specific immunologic biomarkers and determine whether the levels of these biomarkers correlate with disease response and outcome.

Trial Health

75
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
10

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for phase_1

Timeline
3mo left

Started Jul 2021

Longer than P75 for phase_1

Geographic Reach
1 country

13 active sites

Status
active not recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress95%
Jul 2021Aug 2026

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 2, 2020

Completed
14 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 16, 2020

Completed
10 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 13, 2021

Completed
4.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

November 7, 2025

Completed
9 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 1, 2026

Expected
Last Updated

April 24, 2026

Status Verified

April 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

4.3 years

First QC Date

September 2, 2020

Last Update Submit

April 23, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosisNewly DiagnosedFrontline therapyRefractoryRelapsedResponse-adaptedSalvage therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Complete Response (CR)/Complete Response with Incomplete Hematologic Recovery (CRi)

    Will be reported as number and percentage of patients meeting CR/CRi criteria at the end of 8 weeks of therapy

    8 weeks

  • Adverse events (AEs) associated with the ruxolitinib-containing regimen

    Cumulative incidence will be estimated by the Kalbfleisch-Prentice method for severe toxicities that lead to morbidity and mortality.

    up to 8 weeks

  • Adverse events (AEs) associated with the ruxolitinib-containing regimen

    Cumulative incidence will be estimated by the Kalbfleisch-Prentice method for severe toxicities that lead to morbidity and mortality.

    up to 1 year after diagnosis

Secondary Outcomes (6)

  • Overall Response (CR/CRi plus Partial Response [PR]))

    8 weeks

  • Survival to eight weeks

    8 weeks

  • Survival to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients for whom an allogeneic HSCT is planned

    up to 1 year

  • Survival to one year after initiation of the treatment protocol

    1 year after initiation of treatment

  • Survival one year after HSCT

    1 year post HSCT

  • +1 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Frontline Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Safety Phase: Patients with newly diagnosed HLH will receive ruxolitinib PO or NGT and dexamethasone, PO or IV. Etoposide IV will be added based on disease response. Expansion Phase: Patients with newly diagnosed HLH treatment will begin with ruxolitinib PO or NGT at the MTD dose. Dexamethasone will be administered PO or IV. Etoposide IV will be added based on disease response.

Drug: RuxolitinibDrug: DexamethasoneDrug: Etoposide

Salvage Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients with relapsed/refractory HLH will receive ruxolitinib PO or NGT and dexamethasone PO or IV. Etoposide IV will be added based on disease response.

Drug: RuxolitinibDrug: DexamethasoneDrug: Etoposide

Interventions

Given orally (PO) or per nasogastric tube (NGT) twice a day for 8 weeks

Also known as: Jakafi®
Frontline ArmSalvage Arm

Given intravenously (IV) or orally (PO) twice a day for 8 weeks

Also known as: Decadron®, Hexadrol®, Dexone®, Dexameth®
Frontline ArmSalvage Arm

Given intravenously (IV) once a week for 8 weeks

Also known as: Etoposide Phosphate, VePesid®, Etopophos®, VP-16
Frontline ArmSalvage Arm

Eligibility Criteria

Age6 Weeks - 22 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Patient is ≥6 weeks and ≤22 years of age.
  • Patient weighs ≥3 kg.
  • Patient is able to take medication PO and/or patient or parent is willing to have NG tube placed if patient is unable to take medications PO.
  • Patient has active HLH if:
  • Patient has ≥5 of 8 Diagnostic HLH criteria listed below, OR
  • Patient has known fHLH (e.g., patient has pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variant(s) in genes such as PRF1, UNC13D, STX11, STXBP2, LYST, RAB27A, XIAP, SH2D1A, NLCR4) and meets ≥4 of the diagnostic HLH criteria listed below, OR
  • Patient has high likelihood of fHLH based on absent perforin, SAP, XIAP expression and meets ≥4 of the Diagnostic HLH Criteria listed below:
  • Fever
  • Splenomegaly (If present at any point prior to starting study drug)
  • Cytopenias affecting ≥2 of 3 cell lineages in the peripheral blood (hemoglobin \<9 g/dL, platelets \<100 × 10\^9/L, ANC \<1000/mm\^3)
  • Hypertriglyceridemia (fasting triglycerides ≥265 mg/dL) or hypofibrinogenemia (fibrinogen ≤150 mg/dL)
  • Presence of hemophagocytosis in BM or other tissues
  • Low or absent NK-cell activity (if present at any point prior to starting study drug) OR decreased CD107a mobilization (if present at any point prior to starting study drug)
  • Ferritin ≥500 ng/mL
  • Soluble IL-2 receptor (CD25) ≥2400 U/mL
  • +21 more criteria

You may not qualify if:

  • Patient is \<6 weeks or \>22 years of age.
  • Patient weighs \<3 kg.
  • Patient has isolated CNS disease.
  • Life expectancy is \<2 weeks.
  • Patient is likely to require \<4 weeks of therapy (i.e., HSCT is imminent).
  • Patients with creatinine clearance (CrCl) \<15 mL/min who are NOT receiving dialysis.
  • Patient has evidence of severe organ dysfunction, defined as: Severe liver dysfunction (ALT \>1000 U/L), OR Cardiorespiratory failure requiring any ionotropic support OR extracorporeal life support, OR high frequency oscillatory ventilation, other forms of respiratory support or ventilation are allowed if the patient is not on vasopressors)
  • Patient with pre-existing rheumatologic disorder.
  • Patient with known active malignancy.
  • Patient with previous HSCT, except when HSCT was for treatment of HLH.
  • Patient is pregnant or lactating.
  • Patients who expect to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the study and/or who are unwilling to use highly effective methods of contraception throughout the duration of the study, starting with the screening visit through the end of the treatment visit.
  • Patient has suspected or known fungal disease.
  • Patient is unable to tolerate administration of drugs PO or NG.
  • Patient is taking rifampin or St. John's Wort.
  • +4 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (13)

Phoenix Children's Hospital

Phoenix, Arizona, 85016, United States

Location

Children's Hospital of Orange County

Orange, California, 92868, United States

Location

University of California San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94158, United States

Location

Children's National Medical Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States

Location

John Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

Location

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

Location

Cohen Children's Medical Center

New Hyde Park, New York, 11040, United States

Location

Levine Children's Hospital

Charlotte, North Carolina, 28203, United States

Location

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Memphis, Tennessee, 38105, United States

Location

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, Texas, 75235, United States

Location

Texas Children's Hospital

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Location

Children's Wisconsin/Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States

Location

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lymphohistiocytosis, HemophagocyticRecurrence

Interventions

ruxolitinibDexamethasoneCalcium DobesilateEtoposideetoposide phosphate

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Histiocytosis, Non-Langerhans-CellHistiocytosisLymphatic DiseasesHemic and Lymphatic DiseasesDisease AttributesPathologic ProcessesPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

PregnadienetriolsPregnadienesPregnanesSteroidsFused-Ring CompoundsPolycyclic CompoundsSteroids, FluorinatedBenzenesulfonatesBenzene DerivativesHydrocarbons, AromaticHydrocarbons, CyclicHydrocarbonsOrganic ChemicalsArylsulfonatesArylsulfonic AcidsSulfonic AcidsSulfur AcidsSulfur CompoundsPodophyllotoxinTetrahydronaphthalenesNaphthalenesPolycyclic Aromatic HydrocarbonsGlucosidesGlycosidesCarbohydrates

Study Officials

  • Melissa Hines, MD

    St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

    STUDY CHAIR
  • Kim E. Nichols, MD

    St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

    STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 1
Allocation
NON RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 2, 2020

First Posted

September 16, 2020

Study Start

July 13, 2021

Primary Completion

November 7, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Last Updated

April 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

Individual participant de-identified datasets containing the variables analyzed in the published article will be made available (related to the study primary or secondary objectives contained in the publication). Supporting documents such as the protocol, statistical analyses plan, and informed consent are available through the CTG website for the specific study. Data used to generate the published article will be made available at the time of article publication. Investigators who seek access to individual level de-identified data will contact the computing team in the Department of Biostatistics (ClinTrialDataRequest@stjude.org) who will respond to the data request.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
Time Frame
Data will be made available at the time of article publication.
Access Criteria
Data will be provided to researchers following a formal request with the following information: full name of requestor, affiliation, data set requested, and timing of when data is needed. As an informational point, the lead statistician and study principal investigator will be informed that primary results datasets have been requested.

Locations