Tacrolimus Cessation for Bone Marrow Transplant

KC
Overseen ByKelly Chyan
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores the safety of stopping tacrolimus earlier than usual after a bone marrow transplant. Tacrolimus typically prevents graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) after a transplant, but recent methods have reduced the risk of this complication. Individuals planning their first bone marrow transplant for certain blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), might be suitable candidates. Participants should also have a matched donor available. As a Phase 1 trial, the research focuses on understanding how the treatment works in people, offering participants a chance to contribute to groundbreaking medical insights.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial team or your doctor to get a clear answer.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this treatment is likely to be safe for humans?

Research has shown that stopping tacrolimus early after a bone marrow transplant can be safe. One study found that ending tacrolimus treatment sooner did not increase the risk of complications or death related to the transplant. This indicates that patients can manage this change without major issues.

Another study examined patients who reduced their tacrolimus levels early after the transplant. It found that while higher levels of tacrolimus can lower the risk of GVHD, stopping it early did not lead to more severe problems.

Overall, these findings suggest that stopping tacrolimus early might be safe for people after a bone marrow transplant, especially when combined with other treatments to prevent GVHD.12345

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores a new strategy for tapering off tacrolimus in patients who have undergone a bone marrow transplant. Unlike the standard approach, which often involves maintaining higher doses of immunosuppressive drugs for extended periods, this trial tests an early taper strategy. This could potentially reduce the risk of long-term side effects associated with prolonged tacrolimus use, such as kidney damage. Additionally, the trial aims to tailor the tapering process to individual patient risk, which could make post-transplant care more personalized and potentially improve outcomes.

What evidence suggests that early cessation of tacrolimus might be an effective treatment for preventing GVHD after bone marrow transplant?

In this trial, participants will follow a risk-adapted early tacrolimus taper strategy. Research has shown that stopping tacrolimus, a medication used after a bone marrow transplant, earlier than usual might be beneficial. One study found that patients who stopped taking tacrolimus sooner experienced positive results without a higher risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious condition where the donor's cells attack the patient's body. Another study discovered that gradually reducing immune-suppressing drugs like tacrolimus can effectively treat a relapse after a transplant. Additionally, maintaining certain levels of tacrolimus early on can reduce the risk of severe GVHD. Overall, these findings suggest that stopping tacrolimus early could be safe with careful monitoring.12367

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults aged 18-80 with certain blood disorders like AML, MDS, MF, CMML, or CML who are in remission or have refractory disease. They must be planning their first bone marrow transplant and have a fully matched donor. Participants need good kidney function and heart health.

Inclusion Criteria

I have chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
My AML is in remission or partially recovered.
I am scheduled for a bone marrow transplant with specific preparation.
See 7 more

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Initial tacrolimus dosing post-HCT, with tapering starting on day 60 and complete cessation by day 88

88 days
Up to 3 visits per week for tacrolimus level assessment

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness, including incidence of GVHD and other outcomes

1 year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • Tacrolimus

Trial Overview

The study tests stopping the drug tacrolimus earlier than usual after a bone marrow transplant to see if it's safe and feasible. Tacrolimus usually helps prevent GVHD—a common post-transplant complication—but may not be as necessary with modern prevention methods.

How Is the Trial Designed?

1

Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Risk-Adapted Early Tacrolimus Taper StrategyExperimental Treatment2 Interventions

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials
2,527
Recruited
17,430,000+

Eurofins Viracor Biopharma

Collaborator

Citations

Shortened-Duration Tacrolimus after Nonmyeloablative ...

Thus, our present data suggest that with this particular regimen, complete cessation of tacrolimus well before day +180 (3 to 4 months earlier) not only is ...

Higher tacrolimus concentrations early after transplant ...

Higher tacrolimus concentrations early after transplant reduce the risk of acute graft-versus-host disease in reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell ...

Efficacy of immune suppression tapering in treating relapse ...

Immune suppression tapering alone in patients who relapse early after reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation can produce durable ...

Retrospective Analysis of Tacrolimus Levels: The First 56 ...

The results of our study demonstrated that tacrolimus levels 8 to 12 ng/mL in the first 8 weeks were associated with a lower risk of grade 3 to ...

Long-term Outcomes with Nonmyeloablative HLA-Identical ...

GVHD prophylaxis with tacrolimus/MMF resulted in a low risk of acute GVHD and compared favorably with results from a concurrent trial using CSP/MMF. A ...

Early cessation of calcineurin inhibitors is feasible post ...

Safety, measured based on the TRM, was defined as death due to complications from the transplant procedure after stem cell infusion that were ...

Prevention of the Graft-Versus-Host-Disease in Patients ...

The purpose of this pilot study is to provide preliminary data about the efficacy and the safety of the combination of tacrolimus with everolimus in the ...