Completed

A Randomized Trial of Recombinant Humanized Anti-IL-2 Receptor Antibody (Daclizumab) Versus Antithymocyte Globulin (ATG) to Treat the Cytopenia of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

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What is being tested

Data Collection

Who is being recruted

Cytopenia+7

+ Bone Marrow Diseases

+ Disease

See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 2
Interventional
Study Start: November 2003
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: November 1, 2003

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

Many bone marrow failure syndromes in humans are now recognized to result from immunological mechanisms. These diseases include aplastic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, and some types of myelodysplasia. Patients with these conditions, who may suffer variable degrees of anemia, leukocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia, alone or in combination, have been shown to respond to a wide variety of immunosuppressive agents, ranging from corticosteroids to cyclosporine (CSA) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG), however, nonresponse and relapse continues to be a problem. Why some patients do not respond initially or others respond and then relapse is unclear. Autoreactive T cells may be resistant to the effect of ATG/CsA (nonresponders), while in others residual autoreactive T cells expand post-treatment leading to hematopoietic stem cell destruction and recurrent pancytopenia (relapse). Therefore, novel, less toxic immunosuppressive regimens that increase response rates and hematologic recovery and decrease relapse rates are needed. One such novel therapy, Daclizumab, a humanized anti-interleukin-2 receptor (lL-2R) monoclonal antibody (mAb), acts against activated lymphocytes, thus sharing an important mechanism of action with ATG. The mAb is much less toxic than ATG and may be administered to outpatients at relatively infrequent intervals (every 2 weeks). Treatments with ATG alone and CsA alone have demonstrated varying degrees of success in alleviating the cytopenia of MDS. Our experience suggests that ATG rather than CSA is the more effective agent inducing hematological responses in susceptible MDS patients and that certain variables including the patient's age, whether or not they were HLA DR15, and days of red cell transfusion dependence prior to treatment were predictive of response. We therefore propose this randomized phase II study to evaluate and compare a new immunosuppressive therapy, Daclizumab, with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) to treat the cytopenia of MDS in a population of subjects with intermediate or high predicted probability of response.

Official TitleA Randomized Trial of Recombinant Humanized Anti-IL-2 Receptor Antibody (Daclizumab) Versus Antithymocyte Globulin (ATG) to Treat the Cytopenia of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) 
NCT00072969
Principal SponsorNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

132 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

CytopeniaBone Marrow DiseasesDiseaseHematologic DiseasesMyelodysplastic SyndromesNeoplasmsPathologic ProcessesPrecancerous ConditionsPreleukemiaSyndrome

Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA: MDS of RA, RARS \& RAEB sub-types including those previously treated with chemotherapy or experimental agents such as retinoids, Vitamin D, and growth factors Anemia requiring transfusion support with at least one unit of packed red blood cells per month for greater than or equal to 2 months OR thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 50000/ul) OR neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count less than 500/ul). Off all other treatments (except G-CSF, and transfusion support and related medications) for at least four weeks. G-CSF can be used before, during and after the protocol treatment for patients with documented neutropenia (less than 500/Ul) as long as they meet the criteria for anemia and/or thrombocytopenia as stated above. ECOG performance status less than or equal to 2 High or intermediate predicted probability of response EXCLUSION CRITERIA: MDS of FAB sub-group chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) Transformation to acute leukemia (FAB sub-group RAEB-T, ie, greater than 20% blasts in marrow aspirate) Hypoplastic marrow without one major or two minor criteria Treatment with growth factors (except for G-CSF) or cyclosporine within 4 weeks prior to entry to protocol Recent or current treatment (24 hours wash out period) with the herbal supplement Echinacea purpurea or Usnea barbata (Old Man's Beard) ECOG performance status of greater than 2 Active uncontrolled infection (chronic or current clinically significant infection, including hepatitis B or C virus infection) Current pregnancy, or unwilling to take oral contraceptives or refrain from pregnancy if of childbearing potential Patients for whom bone marrow transplant is indicated as standard therapy (age less than fifty-five with a fully-matched sibling donor) Age less than 18 years Not able to understand the investigational nature of the study or give informed consent HIV positive patients Active malignant disease (excluding basal cell carcinoma) Serum creatinine greater than 2mg/dl Patients who are moribund or patients with concurrent hepatic, renal, cardiac, metabolic, or any disease of such severity that death within 3 months is likely Low predicted probability of response

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Bethesda, United StatesSee the location
CompletedOne Study Center