Inclusion Criteria:
Participants eligible for inclusion in this study have to meet the following criteria:
Myelofibrosis MF Monotherapy:
Participants who are not candidates for, intolerant of, or relapsed/refractory to approved
JAKi (ruxolitinib and / or fedratinib / pacritinib) or when further benefit from therapy is
not anticipated per investigator. Participants not eligible for JAKi therapy irrespectively
of previous treatments. Prior JAKi therapy is not required.
Myelofibrosis Ruxolitinib Combination MF participants treated with Ruxolitinib for at least
3 months on a stable, uninterrupted dose for at least 2 months prior to study enrollment
AND have suboptimal response (palpable spleen of ≥5 cm, or total symptoms score of ≥10) or
progressive anemia/thrombocytopenia/neutropenia.
AND all the below criteria in both cohorts:
- - Must be diagnosed with treatment requiring PMF or post ET/PV MF diagnosed according to
the 2016 World Health Organization with intermediate -1, intermediate -2 or high-risk
disease according to the DIPSS prognostic scoring system, or if with low risk disease
then with symptomatic splenomegaly that is ≥ 5 cm below left costal margin by physical
exam.
- - Peripheral or bone marrow blasts must be < 10%
- Participants must provide written informed consent.
Because no dosing or adverse event data are currently available
on the use of tasquinimod as monotherapy or in combination with ruxolitinib in
patients <18 years of age, children are excluded from this study.
- - Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan and laboratory tests.
- - Participant is able to swallow and retain oral medication.
- - ECOG performance status 0-2.
- - Required baseline laboratory status:
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.0 x 109/L (1000/mm3)
- Serum direct bilirubin ≤ 1.0 x ULN (upper limit of normal)
- AST (SGOT) or ALT (SGPT) [if both measured, then this applies to both
measurements] ≤ 2.5 x ULN, except for participants with MF involvement of the
liver who must have levels ≤ 5 x ULN.
- - Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) of ≥ 30 ml/min based on Chronic Kidney Disease
Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation using serum or plasma creatinine or
cystatin-C.
- - Treatment-related toxicities from prior therapies must have resolved to Grade ≤ 1.
- - At least 2 weeks from prior investigational MF-directed treatment (till the start of
study drug).
This excludes concurrent ruxolitinib which is allowed in combination
cohort. Hydroxyurea is allowed as standard cytoreductive therapy up until one day
prior to initiation of therapy with tasquinimod. No other standard of care therapy for
MF is allowed (as specified in the exclusion criteria)
- - For women of childbearing potential, a documented negative serum or urine pregnancy
test within 14 days prior to the administration of study drug.
- - The effects of tasquinimod on the developing human fetus are unknown.
For this reason,
women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception
(hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for
the duration of study participation. (Refer to Pregnancy Assessment Policy MD Anderson
Institutional Policy # CLN1114). This includes all female participants, between the
onset of menses (as early as 8 years of age) and 55 years unless the patient presents
with an applicable exclusionary factor which may be one of the following:
- - Postmenopausal (no menses in greater than or equal to 12 consecutive months).
- - History of hysterectomy or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.
- - Ovarian failure (Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Estradiol in menopausal range,
who have received Whole Pelvic Radiation Therapy).
- - History of bilateral tubal ligation or another surgical sterilization procedure.
- - Approved methods of birth control are as follows: Hormonal contraception (i.e. birth
control pills, injection, implant, transdermal patch, vaginal ring), Intrauterine
device (IUD), Tubal Ligation or hysterectomy, Subject/Partner post vasectomy,
Implantable or injectable contraceptives, and condoms plus spermicide.
Not engaging in
sexual activity for the total duration of the trial and the drug washout period is an
acceptable practice; however periodic abstinence, the rhythm method, and the
withdrawal method are not acceptable methods of birth control. Should a woman become
pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this
study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
- - Men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception
prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 6 months after
completion of tasquinimod administration.
- - Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants eligible for this study must not meet any of the following criteria:
- - Any concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions that could increase the
participant's risk for toxicity while in the study or that could confound
discrimination between disease- and study treatment-related toxicities.
- - Impaired cardiac function or clinically significant cardiac diseases, including any of
the following:
- History or presence of ventricular tachyarrhythmia.
- - Presence of unstable atrial fibrillation (ventricular response > 100 bpm);
Participants with stable atrial fibrillation are eligible, provided they do not
meet any of the other cardiac exclusion criteria.
- - Clinically significant resting bradycardia (< 50 bpm).
- - Angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction ≤ 3 months prior to starting study
drug.
- - Other clinically significant heart disease (e.g., symptomatic congestive heart
failure; uncontrolled arrhythmia or hypertension; history of labile hypertension
or poor compliance with an antihypertensive regimen).
- - Participants who are currently receiving chronic (> 14 days) treatment with
corticosteroids at a dose ≥ 10 mg of prednisone (or its glucocorticoid equivalent) per
day, or any other chronic immunosuppressive treatment that cannot be discontinued
prior to starting study drug.
- - Treatment with chemotherapy (except hydroxyurea within 1 day prior to study
treatment), immunomodulatory drug therapy (e.g. thalidomide, interferon-alpha),
platelet-reducing therapy (e.g. anagrelide), immunosuppressive therapy, and
erythropoetin use within 28 days prior to study treatment.
- - Treatment with experimental therapy within the past 2 weeks or 5 half-lives, whichever
is shorter.
- - Treatment with tasquinimod at any time.
- - Participants with impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may
significantly alter the absorption of tasquinimod as per physician opinion.
- - Participants with known or active (acute and chronic) Hepatitis A, B, or C; and
Hepatitis B and C carriers, HIV.
Participants are excluded regardless of detectability
of viral load (lack of safety data).
- - Participants with clinically significant bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral
infection which require therapy.
- - History of pancreatitis.
- - History of malabsorption or other condition that would interfere with absorption of
study drugs (e.g. ulcerative diseases, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
malabsorption syndrome, small bowel resection)
- Systemic treatment within 14 days prior to the initiation of study treatment with any
of the following moderate or strong inhibitor, or moderate or strong inducer of
cytochrome P-3A4 (CYP3A4): imidazoles (e.g. ketoconazole), protease inhibitors (e.g.
ritonavir), macrolides (e.g. erythromycin), rifampicin, rifabutin, phenytoin,
carbamazepine, St. John's wort.
- - Need for ongoing therapy with any of the following drug substances of narrow
therapeutic range that are metabolized mainly by CYP3A4: alfentanil, fentanyl,
quinidine, astemizole, terfenadine, sirolimus, tacrolimus, cyclosporine, cisapride,
and ergotamine.
- - Need for ongoing therapy with any of the following drug substances of narrow
therapeutic range metabolized mainly by CYP1A2: duloxetine, palonosetron,
theophylline, tizanidine, and ondansetron.
- - Need for ongoing therapy with any of the following drug substances of narrow
therapeutic range metabolized mainly by CYP2D6: Dosulepin, Flecainide, Sotalol,
Pimozide, Procainamide, Clonidine, Desipramine, Clomipramine, Amitriptyline,
Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Trimipramine, Amoxapine, Dronedarone, Phenytoin.
- - Ongoing treatment with warfarin, unless the INR is <=3.0.
- - Known hypersensitivity to tasquinimod or any excipients in the study treatments.
- - Any other condition that would, in the Investigator's judgment, contraindicate
subject's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns or compliance
with clinical study procedures.
- - Prior inclusion in this study.
- - Pregnant women are excluded from this study because tasquinimod is an agent with the
potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects.
Because there is an unknown but
potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the
mother with tasquinimod, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated
with tasquinimod. These potential risks may also apply to other agents used in this
study.