Neoplasms

Blood and Lymph Conditions

All Conditions

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Rare Diseases

Polycythemia Vera

Polycythemia

Thrombocytosis

Thrombocythemia, Essential

Hematologic Diseases

Bone Marrow Neoplasms

Hematologic Neoplasms

Bone Marrow Diseases

Myeloproliferative Disorders

Blood Platelet Disorders

Hemostatic Disorders

Blood Coagulation Disorders

Hemorrhagic Disorders

Essential Thrombocythemia

Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders

Antipyretics

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Analgesics

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All Drugs and Chemicals

Anti-Infective Agents

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Antisickling Agents

Aspirin

Interferons

Hydroxyurea

Interferon-alpha

Peginterferon alfa-2a

Interferon alpha-2

Antiviral Agents

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal

Analgesics, Non-Narcotic

Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors

Enzyme Inhibitors

Immunologic Factors

The subject will begin receiving the PEGASYS at a dose level of 45 micrograms weekly and gradually get increased to the maximum dose of 180 micrograms per week. The dose will be administered by prefilled syringes that will be injected subcutaneously. Subjects will receive therapy for up to 12 months.

Subjects will receive a 500mg tablet to be taken twice daily for up to 12 months of treatment.

PEGASYS

Subject will be asked to take 81 to 100mg per day for the 12 months of the study treatment.

Ronald Hoffman, MD

Claire Harrison, MD

Ruben Mesa, MD

Jean-Jacques Kiladjian, MD

Mary Frances McMullin, MD

John Mascarenhas, MD

This research is looking at two conditions, Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) and Polycythemia Vera (PV). ET causes people to produce too many blood cells called platelets and PV causes too many platelets and red blood cells to be made. Platelets are particles which circulate in the blood stream and normally prevent bleeding and bruising. Having too many platelets in the blood increases the risk of developing blood clots, which can result in life threatening events like heart attacks and strokes. When the number of red blood cells is increased in PV this will slow the speed of blood flow in the body and increases the risk of developing blood clots.

The purpose of this study is to look at the effectiveness of giving participants who have been diagnosed with ET or PV one of two different study regimens over time. The study subject will be followed for their condition for about 5 years. The subject will be randomized into one of two study regimens, either Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a (PEGASYS) or Aspirin and Hydroxyurea (also called Hydroxycarbamide). The subject must be newly diagnosed or already receiving treatment for either PV or ET. Each of the study drugs used in this study is already being used to treat subjects with ET or PV currently, but the investigators are unsure which study drug is better.

The Philadelphia chromosome negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are a group of clonal hematological malignancies that are characterized by a chronic course which can be punctuated by a number of disease related events including thrombosis, hemorrhage, pruritis and leukemic transformation. These disorders include Polycythemia Vera (PV), Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) and Primary Myelofibrosis (PM). Recently an acquired somatic mutation in the intracellular kinase, JAK2 (JAK2V617F) has been observed in 95% of patients with PV, 50% of patients with ET and 50% of patients with primary myelofibrosis. At present the chemotherapeutic agent hydroxyurea is the standard of care for high risk patients with PV. Concern exists about prolonged use of this drug leading to leukemia and the inability of hydroxyurea to eliminate the malignant clone.

Interferon (rIFN -2b), is a drug that appears to be non-leukemogenic, and may have a preferential activity on the malignant clone in PV, as suggested by cytogenetic remissions obtained in patients treated with rIFN -2b. Several investigators recently reported that patients with PV treated with rIFN -2b had lower JAK2V617F allele burdens as compared to a control group that included patients treated with phlebotomy, hydroxyurea, or anagrelide, or who remained untreated. The results confirm the hypothesis that rIFN -2b preferentially targets the malignant clone in PV and raises the possibility that the JAK2V617F allele burden, and a reversion of clonal hematopoiesis monitored in females by expression of X-chromosome polymorphic alleles maybe useful in monitoring minimal residual disease in PV patients.

Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a (PEGASYS) has been demonstrated in phase II trials of patients with PV and ET to have clinical efficacy as measured by normalization of myeloproliferation, lack of vascular events while on therapy, and a decrease in the JAK2V617F allele burden. Overall the tolerability of the therapy was good, with each of these trials having a dropout rate secondary to toxicity of less than 10% of those enrolled. Although dropout rates for toxicity were low, that is not to say the therapy was without symptomatic toxicity, and indeed a spectrum of toxicities might be encountered and need to be weighed in the analysis of the net clinical benefit patients experience on a clinical trial with Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a.

A new MPN assessment form will be utilized in this study. This 19 item instrument includes a previously validated 9 item brief fatigue inventory (BFI), symptoms related to splenomegaly, inactivity, cough, night sweats, pruritus, bone pains, fevers, weight loss, and an overall quality of life assessment. The instrument yields an independent result for each symptom (fatigue is a composite score), as this methodology (of linear analog scale assessment \[LASA\]) has proven very valid in the past. This instrument was validated prospectively (by comparison to a panel of instruments each containing an aspect of the MPN-SAF) for administration at a single time point.

This is a randomized trial between hydroxyurea and Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a, it is an open label clinical trial in two independent disease strata: (1) high risk polycythemia vera and (2) high risk essential thrombocythemia.

Randomized Trial of Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Versus Hydroxyurea in Polycythemia Vera (PV) and Essential Thrombocythemia (ET)

Randomized Trial of Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Versus Hydroxyurea Therapy in the Treatment of High Risk Polycythemia Vera (PV) and High Risk Essential Thrombocythemia (ET)

Number of participants with Complete Remission after 12 months of therapy assessed by hematologic response rates two strata of patients with high risk polycythemia vera (PV) or high risk essential thrombocythemia (ET). Complete remission means no evidence of disease.

Number of participants with Partial Remission after 12 months of therapy assessed by hematologic response rates two strata of patients with high risk polycythemia vera (PV) or high risk essential thrombocythemia (ET). Partial Remission means decrease in the size of a tumor, or in the extent of cancer in the body, in response to treatment.

Number of Participants with Grade 3 and Grade 4 Hematological and Non-hematological Events using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 4.0 to assess the toxicity, safety and tolerability of therapy (Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a vs. Hydroxyurea).

Change in the Total Symptom Score which assessed improvement in disease symptoms measured by the change in TSS from the Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form (MPN-SAF) instrument being used in this study from baseline to 12 months. This 19 item instrument includes the previously validated 9 item brief fatigue inventory (BFI), symptoms related to splenomegaly, inactivity, cough, night sweats, pruritus, bone pains, fevers, weight loss, and an overall quality of life assessment. Each item is scored from 0-10 with full scale from 0-190, with higher scores mean worse symptoms.

To compare the impact of therapy (Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a vs. Hydroxyurea) on key biomarkers of the disease(s) by measuring the JAK2 allele burden.

The impact of PEGASYS on JAK2 will be measured by the allele burden; hematopoietic cell clonality will be measured by whether patients with clonal disease return to polyclonal; bone marrow histopathology will be measured by going from abnormal to normal; cytogenetic abnormalities will be measured by seeing if the cytogenetics go from abnormal to normal.To compare the impact of therapy on JAK2-V617F (JAK2), CALR, hematopoietic cell clonality in platelets and granulocytes in females, bone marrow histopathology, and cytogenetic abnormalities.

Survival and incidence of development of myelodysplastic syndrome, myelofibrosis, or leukemic transformation after therapy

To estimate survival and incidence of development of myelodysplastic syndrome, myelofibrosis, or leukemic transformation after therapy (Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a vs. Hydroxyurea) by capturing the rate of progression to a more advanced myeloid malignancy.

Myeloproliferative Disorders-Research Consortium

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Roche Pharma AG

Ronald Hoffman

Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology

The subject received the PEGASYS at a dose level of 45 micrograms weekly and gradually increased to the maximum dose of 180 micrograms per week. The dose was administered by prefilled syringes and injected subcutaneously. Subjects received therapy for up to 12 months.

Aspirin: Subject asked to take 81 to 100mg per day for the 12 months of the study treatment.

Subjects received a 500mg tablet to be taken twice daily for up to 12 months of treatment.

Aspirin: Subject asked to take 81 to 100mg per day for the 12 months of the study treatment.

Total

Age, Continuous

Sex: Female, Male

Race (NIH/OMB)

Age > 60 years

The ECOG measures level of functioning in terms of daily living abilities:

0-Fully active, able to carry on all pre-disease performance without restriction

1. Restricted in physically strenuous activity but ambulatory and able to carry out work of a light or sedentary nature, eg.light house work
2. Ambulatory and capable of all selfcare but unable to carry out any work activities; up and about \>50% of waking hours
3. Capable of only limited selfcare; confined to bed or chair \>50% of waking hours
4. Completely disabled; cannot carry on any selfcare; totally confined to bed or chair
5. Dead

The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status

Essential thrombocythemia (ET)

Polycythemia Vera (PV)

Disease Type

Previous Thrombosis

Previous Hemorrhage

Splenomegaly

Disease Duration

Dr. Ronald Hoffman

there were 82 participants in PEGASYS arm 39 with ET and 43 with PV, 86 in Hydroxyurea arm 42 with ET and 44 with PV

Number of Participants With Complete Remission (CR)

Number of Participants With Partial Remission (PR)

Grade 3 Hematological event

Grade 4 Hematological event

Grade 3 Non-hematological event

Grade 4 Non-hematological event

Number of Participants With Grade 3 and Grade 4 Hematological and Non-hematological Events

Change in the Total Symptom Score (TSS)

JAK2 Allele Burden

Allele Burden

Death

Progression to MF

Number of Participants With Progression of Disease or Death

Number of Participants With Major Cardiovascular Events After Therapy

Overall Study

Thrombosis

Venous Thrombosis

Patient will start at 45 micrograms per week and gradually increase to 180 micrograms per week. Pegasys will be supplied in prefilled syringes and are to be given subcutaneously.

Ellen Ritchie, MD

Alessandro Rambaldi, MD

The aim of this research is to look at two conditions, Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) and Polycythemia Vera (PV). ET causes people to produce too many blood cells called platelets and PV causes too many platelets and red blood cells to be made. Platelets are particles which circulate in the blood stream and normally prevent bleeding and bruising. Having too many platelets in the blood increases the risk of developing blood clots, which can result in life threatening events like heart attacks and strokes. When the number of red blood cells is increased in PV this will slow the speed of blood flow in the body and increases the risk of developing blood clots.

It is important for patients with ET or PV who are at risk of blood clots to receive drugs which will minimize the risks of developing these blood clots but at the moment the investigators are not sure which drugs will best control the disorder.

The purpose of this study is to look at the effectiveness of giving patients who have been diagnosed with ET and PV a study drug regimen using Aspirin and PEGASYS (also known as Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, instead of the standard treatment drug called Hydroxyurea (or hydroxycarbamide or Hydroxyurea), for whom this drug may not be suitable. The drug may not be suitable either because it is not adequately controlling the number of blood cells or some specific side effects occur.

Myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) are clonal hematologic diseases characterized by the excess production of one or more lineages of mature blood cells, a predisposition to bleeding and thrombotic complications, extramedullary hematopoiesis, and a variable progression to acute leukemia. The classical Philadelphia chromosome-negative MPDs are polycythemia vera (PV), characterized by an expansion in red blood cell production; essential thrombocythemia (ET), characterized by an isolated elevation in the platelet count; and myelofibrosis, distinguished by a fibrotic bone marrow and peripheral blood cytopenias, and accompanied by the highest risk of leukemic transformation. Myelofibrosis can arise de novo, as primary myelofibrosis (PMF), or can evolve out of PV or ET as those diseases progress (so called post-PV MF and post-ET MF). Amongst the MPDs, those characterized by myelofibrosis (PMF together with post-PV and post-ET MF) carry the worst prognosis, with a median survival on the order of 3 to 5 years. Patients typically present with anemia, often requiring transfusions, symptomatic splenomegaly and severe constitutional symptoms. Donor stem cell transplantation is the only potentially curative therapy. To date there is no therapy for myelofibrosis that has been shown to offer a survival benefit, and all other therapies for myelofibrosis are palliative.

In 2005, a major breakthrough in understanding the pathophysiology of MPDs came when 4 groups described a recurrent somatic mutation in Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) in the majority of patients with MPDs. The point mutation in JAK2 encodes a valine to phenylalanine change at position 617 (JAK2 V617F), and confers constitutive tyrosine kinase activity. Introducing the mutation into the bone marrow of mouse models recapitulates the PV phenotype (complete with evolution to bone marrow fibrosis) and inhibitors of JAK2 attenuate the growth of cell lines bearing the mutation in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that JAK2 V617F is a pathophysiologically relevant therapeutic target. It is estimated that 95% of PV cases carry JAK2 V617F, while 50 to 60% of ET and PMF cases are JAK2 V617F+. The discovery of the JAK2V617F mutation in nearly all patients with PV and half those with ET and PMF have redefined the classification and possibly the management of MPNs.

Despite the discovery of the JAK2V617F mutation, many of the clinical questions in the management of MPNs remain unanswered. In PV, for example, cardiovascular mortality remains 1.4 to 1.6 times that of the reference normal population with leukemia and myelofibrosis rates many times increased over baseline. Debate continues over the role of venesection versus cytoreduction as first-line therapy, and whether hydroxycarbamide (Hydroxyurea) is associated with better thrombotic prophylaxis and/or a higher rate of leukemic transformation. Interferons may produce molecular responses in PV patients. In high-risk ET, while Hydroxyurea and aspirin appear to be more optimal than anagrelide and aspirin, vascular complications remain the most significant cause of mortality and morbidity, suggesting that targeting vascular risk factors may be worthwhile.

Furthermore while Hydroxyurea is regarded as the first-choice therapy in most of high risk patients with ET and PV; up to 10% of the patients do not attain the desired reduction of platelet number or hematocrit with the recommended dose of the drug, exhibiting clinical resistance, whereas some will develop unacceptable side effects, demonstrating clinical intolerance.

Quantitation of the JAK2V617F allele burden provides for the first time the opportunity to monitor the effect of potential therapeutic agents on the malignant clone in patients with PV. Great enthusiasm has been expressed for the use of small molecule inhibitors of JAK2 for the treatment of patients with MPN. Phase 1/2 trials have indicated greater than expected toxicity, non specificity of action and an inability of these compounds to dramatically alter the JAK2V617F allele burden. Interferon (rIFN -2b), is a drug that appears to be non-leukemogenic (contrary to 32P, alkylating agents, and possibly Hydroxyurea), and may have a preferential activity on the malignant clone in PV, as suggested by cytogenetic remissions obtained in patients treated with rIFN -2b.

This trial was designed as open-label phase 2 study conducted in two strata of patients with high risk PV or ET who were intolerant of hydroxyurea. Patients with ET or PV with Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis (regardless of prior hydroxyurea) are enrolled in separate strata.

Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Salvage Therapy in High Risk Polycythemia Vera (PV) or Essential Thrombocythemia (ET)

Single Arm Salvage Therapy With Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a for Patients With High Risk Polycythemia Vera or High Risk Essential Thrombocythemia Who Are Either Hydroxyurea Resistant or Intolerant or Have Had Abdominal Vein Thrombosis

Improvement in disease symptoms will be measured by the Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form (MPN-SAF) instrument being used in this study.

We plan to capture the rate of disease progression to a more advanced myeloid malignancy.

Capture and record the cardiovascular events that occur during the study.

The impact of PEGASYS on JAK2 will be measured by the allele burden; hematopoietic cell clonality will be measured by whether patients with clonal disease return to polyclonal; bone marrow histopathology will be measured by going from abnormal to normal; cytogenetic abnormalities will be measured by seeing if the cytogenetics go from abnormal to normal.

Study title	NCT ID	Conditions	Interventions	Eligibility	Organization	Link
Randomized Trial of Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Versus Hydroxyurea in Polycythemia Vera (PV) and Essential Thrombocythemia (ET)	NCT01259856	High Risk Polyc... High Risk Essen...	PEGASYS Hydroxyurea Aspirin	18 Years -	Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Salvage Therapy in High Risk Polycythemia Vera (PV) or Essential Thrombocythemia (ET)	NCT01259817	High Risk Polyc... High Risk Essen...	PEGASYS Aspirin	18 Years -	Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for high risk polycythemia vera