Conditions: Graft vs Host Disease Hematologic Neoplasms Non-Neoplastic Hematologic and Lymphocytic Disorder
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 26
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This protocol, UMCC 2012.047, was a pilot study initially intended for 12 subjects. After completing enrollment of the planned 12 subjects, we are extending the study to an additional 25 subjects. The trial will examine the safety and efficacy of the addition of vorinostat, the study drug, to standard medications to try to prevent or lower the risk of graft versus-host disease (GVHD) for recipients of unrelated (matched) donor, blood or marrow stem cell transplants. The transplant regimens, chosen according to current institutional policy, will depend upon the recipients underlying disease (their blood cancer or other blood disorder), previous therapy, and current health issues. GVHD prophylaxis (preventive drug intervention) will be the local institutional standard for post-transplant immunosuppression, including tacrolimus and methotrexate, plus vorinostat. Vorinostat will be given twice daily orally beginning 10 days prior to the recipient's transplant and continue for up to 100 days after transplant.

Detailed description:
This trial is investigating the use of vorinostat (Merck) for standard graft versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis after unrelated donor allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). A major limitation of the increased utilization of allogeneic HCT (Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation) is the inferior outcomes when donors other than HLA (HumanLeukocyte Antigen)-matched siblings are used. Compared to matched related donors, recipients of matched unrelated donor transplants are at a significantly increased risk of death and transplant-related mortality (TRM). Acute GVHD remains a significant contributor to TRM, which develops in approximately 50-70% of recipients receiving these type of grafts despite standard immunosuppressive prophylaxis. Thus, novel GVHD prophylaxis strategies which successfully attenuate acute GVHD-related complications without increasing other causes of TRM or relapse are needed.

The historical experience of day 100 grade 2-4 acute GVHD in 154 comparable patients treated at the University of Michigan (2005 - 2011) receiving standard GVHD prophylaxis after unrelated donor allogeneic transplant is 48%. At Washington University, the cumulative incidence of acute grade 2-4 GVHD in patients following unrelated donor transplant is 62%.

Research data collectively suggests, that reducing lethal acute GVHD should improve long-term survival for patients undergoing unrelated donor transplant.

Arms:
arm 1: Vorinostat, in combination with standard of care medications tacrolimus and methotrexate, for GVHD prophylaxis after unrelated donor stem cell transplant.

Interventions: intervention 1: Vorinostat intervention 2: Tacrolimus intervention 3: Methotrexate
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: administered at a dose of 100 mg orally, twice daily starting on day -10 in order to achieve steady-state prior to beginning the conditioning chemotherapy, and continued after transplant (day 0) until day +100. intervention 2: None intervention 3: None

Protocol document: