Completed

A Phase I Study of Decitabine in Combination With Valproic Acid in Patients With Selected Hematologic Malignancies

0 criteria met from your profileSee at a glance how your profile meets each eligibility criteria.
What is being tested

decitabine

+ valproic acid

+ pharmacological study

DrugOther
Who is being recruted

Chronic Disease+15

+ Hematologic Diseases

+ Immune System Diseases

Over 18 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 1
Interventional
Study Start: February 2004
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
Last updated: January 13, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: February 1, 2004

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the minimally effective pharmacological dose (MEPD) of decitabine in patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia or with previously treated chronic lymphocytic lymphoma or small lymphocytic lymphoma. II. Determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of valproic acid in combination with the MEPD of decitabine in these patients. III. Determine the MEPD of valproic acid in combination with decitabine in these patients. IV. Determine the qualitative and quantitative toxic effects of decitabine alone and in combination with valproic acid, in terms of organ specificity, time course, predictability, and reversibility in these patients. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the therapeutic response in patients treated with decitabine alone and in combination with valproic acid. II. Determine the pharmacokinetics of this regimen in these patients. III. Determine kinetics of methyltransferase activity and re-expression of select target genes in AML \[p15, estrogen receptor (ER), WT-1, calcitonin, MYOD1\] and in CLL/SLL \[DERMO-1, DAPK, and ID4\] known to be methylated in primary tumor cells. IV. Correlate baseline and post-treatment changes in DNA methyltransferases (MT1, MT3a, and MT3b) expression with achievement of decitabine MEPD, toxicity, treatment resistance, and disease response in these patients. V. Determine kinetics of HDAC enzyme inhibition and changes in the acetylation status of histones H3 or H4 following treatment with the combination. These parameters will be used to define the MEPD of the combination. VI. Examine baseline and post-therapy changes in the "histone code' in both AML and CLL cells by assessment of the acetylation and methylation status of histones H3 and H4 lysine residues using both Western Blot and Mass Spectrometry techniques. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study. Patients are stratified according to disease (refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia vs chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma). Patients receive decitabine IV over 1 hour on days 1-5 or 1-10. Treatment repeats every 28 days. Cohorts of 6 patients receive escalating doses of decitabine until the minimally effective pharmacological dose (MEPD) is determined. The MEPD is defined as the dose at which at least 5 of 6 patients meet gene methylation criteria and no more than 1 of 6 patients experiences dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Once the MEPD is determined, patients receive decitabine at that dose level administered as above and oral valproic acid three times daily on days 5-21. Treatment repeats every 28 days. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of valproic acid until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience DLT. The MEPD of valproic acid is then determined using established gene methylation and toxicity criteria. Treatment continues for up to 24 months in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed for survival.

Official TitleA Phase I Study of Decitabine in Combination With Valproic Acid in Patients With Selected Hematologic Malignancies 
NCT00079378
Principal SponsorNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
Last updated: January 13, 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

84 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.

Over 18 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

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

Conditions

Pathology

Chronic DiseaseHematologic DiseasesImmune System DiseasesImmunoproliferative DisordersLeukemiaLeukemia, LymphoidLeukemia, MyeloidLymphatic DiseasesLymphomaLymphoproliferative DisordersNeoplasmsNeoplasms by Histologic TypePathologic ProcessesRecurrenceLeukemia, B-CellLeukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-CellLeukemia, Myeloid, AcuteDisease Attributes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with AML (Stratum I) or CLL/SLL (Stratum II) will be enrolled * Patients in stratum I will have one of the following: * Primary refractory or relapsed (in 1 year or less) disease and not a candidate for potentially curative therapy * Untreated AML patients who are not candidates for chemotherapy * Patients in stratum I must have a normal WBC (=\< 10 x 10\^9/L) or a WBC =\< 40 x 10\^9/L that is stable for 1 week (this may be sustained with hydroxyurea prior to starting therapy and during the first 4 days of therapy if clinically indicated) * Patients in stratum II will have received at least one prior therapy for CLL/SLL that has included a purine analog; patients in stratum II with a history of severe autoimmune disease or requiring therapy with chronic corticosteroids or who have any other specific relative contraindications to receive a purine analog and, therefore, have received another form of therapy that include alkylating agents will be eligible to participate * Performance status - ECOG 0-2 * At least 12 weeks life expectancy * Stratum II: * No uncontrolled autoimmune hemolytic anemia * No idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura * Bilirubin =\< 1.5 mg/dL * ALT and AST =\< 2 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine =\< 2.0 mg/dL * No active infection requiring IV antibiotics * HIV negative * No other severe medical condition that would preclude study participation * No psychiatric condition that would preclude study compliance * No history of seizures * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * More than 14 days since prior chemotherapy (except hydroxyurea) * No prior FR901228 (depsipeptide) for step 2 of this study * No other concurrent chemotherapy * No concurrent corticosteroids for antiemetic therapy * No concurrent hormonal therapy except for the following: * Steroids for treatment of adrenal failure or septic shock * Insulin for diabetes * Tamoxifen or equivalent for breast cancer prevention or adjuvant therapy * Estrogens or progestins for gynecologic indications * More than 14 days since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent palliative radiotherapy * No concurrent anticonvulsant medication, including valproic acid

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

One single intervention group is designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Patients receive decitabine IV over 1 hour on days 1-5 or 1-10. Treatment repeats every 28 days. Cohorts of 6 patients receive escalating doses of decitabine until the MEPD is determined. The MEPD is defined as the dose at which at least 5 of 6 patients meet gene methylation criteria and no more than 1 of 6 patients experiences DLT. Once the MEPD is determined, patients receive decitabine at that dose level administered as above and oral valproic acid three times daily on days 5-21. Treatment repeats every 28 days. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of valproic acid until the MTD is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience DLT. The MEPD of valproic acid is then determined using established gene methylation and toxicity criteria. Treatment continues for up to 24 months in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

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

Ohio State University Medical Center

Columbus, United StatesSee the location
CompletedOne Study Center