First-In-Class CD13-Targeted Tissue Factor tTF-NGR in Patients with Recurrent or Refractory Malignant Tumors: Results of a Phase I Dose-Escalation Study.

BACKGROUND: Aminopeptidase N (CD13) is present on tumor vasculature cells and some tumor cells. Truncated tissue factor (tTF) with a C-terminal NGR-peptide (tTF-NGR) binds to CD13 and causes tumor vascular thrombosis with infarction. METHODS: We treated 17 patients with advanced cancer beyond standard therapies in a phase I study with tTF-NGR (1-h infusion, central venous access, 5 consecutive days, and rest periods of 2 weeks). The study allowed intraindividual dose escalations between cycles and established Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) and Dose-Limiting Toxicity (DLT) by verification cohorts. RESULTS: MTD was 3 mg/m2 tTF-NGR/day × 5, q day 22. DLT was an isolated and reversible elevation of high sensitivity (hs) Troponin T hs without clinical sequelae. Three thromboembolic events (grade 2), tTF-NGR-related besides other relevant risk factors, were reversible upon anticoagulation. Imaging by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed major tumor-specific reduction of blood flow in all measurable lesions as proof of principle for the mode of action of tTF-NGR. There were no responses as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), although some lesions showed intratumoral hemorrhage and necrosis after tTF-NGR application. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed a t1/2(terminal) of 8 to 9 h without accumulation in daily administrations. CONCLUSION: tTF-NGR is safely applicable with this regimen. Imaging showed selective reduction of tumor blood flow and intratumoral hemorrhage and necrosis.

Allogeneic transplantation versus chemotherapy as postremission therapy for acute myeloid leukemia: a prospective matched pairs analysis.

PURPOSE: The majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who achieve complete remission (CR) relapse with conventional postremission chemotherapy. Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (alloSCT) might improve survival at the expense of increased toxicity. It remains unknown for which patients alloSCT is preferable. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the outcome of 185 matched pairs of a large multicenter clinical trial (AMLCG99). Patients younger than 60 years who underwent alloSCT in first remission (CR1) were matched to patients who received conventional postremission therapy. The main matching criteria were AML type, cytogenetic risk group, patient age, and time in first CR. RESULTS: In the overall pairwise compared AML population, the projected 7-year overall survival (OS) rate was 58% for the alloSCT and 46% for the conventional postremission treatment group (P = .037; log-rank test). Relapse-free survival (RFS) was 52% in the alloSCT group compared with 33% in the control group (P < .001). OS was significantly better for alloSCT in patient subgroups with nonfavorable chromosomal aberrations, patients older than 45 years, and patients with secondary AML or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. For the entire patient cohort, postremission therapy was an independent factor for OS (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.89 for alloSCT v conventional chemotherapy), among age, cytogenetics, and bone marrow blasts after the first induction cycle. CONCLUSION: AlloSCT is the most potent postremission therapy for AML and is particularly active for patients 45 to 59 years of age and/or those with high-risk cytogenetics.

Allogeneic transplantation as post-remission therapy for cytogenetically high-risk acute myeloid leukemia: landmark analysis from a single prospective multicenter trial.

UNLABELLED: Background Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is considered the preferred post-remission therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia cytogenetically defined as being at high risk. To substantiate evidence for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in first complete remission in these high-risk patients we performed a landmark analysis within a single prospective multicenter treatment trial. DESIGN AND METHODS: By the time of analysis, 2,347 patients had been accrued into the AMLCG 99 trial between 1999 - 2007. Out of this population, 243 patients under 60 years old fulfilled the criteria for high-risk cytogenetics. Landmark analyses were performed with a control cohort, who remained in first complete remission at least the median time from complete remission to transplantation in the intervention group. RESULTS: After standardized induction therapy, 111 patients under 60 years old achieved complete remission. A matched allogeneic donor was identified for 59 patients (30 sibling donors, 29 unrelated donors). Fifty-five patients received an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant after a median time of 88 days in first complete remission. Of the remaining 56 patients, 21 relapsed within 90 days after achieving first complete remission and for 7 patients with relevant comorbidities no donors search was initiated, leaving 28 patients given conventional post-remission therapy as the control cohort. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 60.4 months. Patients with an allogeneic donor had substantially better 5-year overall and relapse-free survival rates than the control group (48% versus 18%, P=0.004 and 39% versus 10%, P<0.001, respectively). A survival benefit from transplantation was evident regardless of donor type, age and monosomal karyotype. Conclusions Beyond evidence available for subgroups of high-risk patients, the findings of this study establish in a broader manner that allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a preferable consolidation treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia and high-risk cytogenetics. The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00266136.

Conditioning with 8-Gy total body irradiation and fludarabine for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia.

Seventy-one patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), most of them (63/71) considered ineligible for conventional allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), were enrolled into a phase 2 study on reduced-intensity myeloablative conditioning with fractionated 8-Gy total body irradiation (TBI) and fludarabine (120 mg/m2). Patients received mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (n = 68) or bone marrow (n = 3) from siblings (n = 39) or unrelated donors (n = 32). Thirty-six patients received a transplant in complete remission (CR) and 35 had untreated or refractory disease (non-CR). Median patient age was 51 years (range, 20-66 years). Sustained engraftment was attained in all evaluable patients. With a median follow-up of 25.9 months (range, 3.7-61.2 months) in surviving patients, probabilities of overall survival for patients who received a transplant in CR and non-CR were 81% and 21% at 2 years, respectively. Relapse-free survival rates were 78% and 16%. The cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality (NRM) in CR patients was 8% at 2 years and beyond but amounted to 37% at 2 years in non-CR patients. Outcome data in this poor-risk population indicate that allogeneic HSCT from related or unrelated donors with 8-Gy TBI/fludarabine conditioning is feasible with low NRM and preserved antileukemic activity in AML patients in first or later CR.