Pasireotide in Prevention of GI Toxicity

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if the drug, Pasireotide, is safe and effective in reducing the gastrointestinal side effects of the drugs received to prepare for allogeneic stem cell transplant. The study will also evaluate if Pasireotide is effective in reducing acute and chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD) after transplant.

The study design will be a non-randomized phase II. Forty patients receiving an ablative preparatory regimen will receive pasireotide subcutaneous (0.9 mg, b.i.d.) one day prior to initiation of the preparatory regimen and continuing for eight days following the completion of the preparatory regimen not to exceed 14 days total dosing. We select matched controls from existing patients who did not take the drug to minimize the time it takes to complete the trial. Myeloablative preparatory regimens are defined as those including either TBI ≥ 1200 cGy or busulfan ≥ 12.8 mg/kg. The most common regimens combine TBI with cyclophosphamide (TBI/Cy) or busulfan with cyclophosphamide (Bu/Cy) (Appendix E). However, any regimen meeting the above definition of myeloablative preparatory regimen may be used. The study will collect data at screening, at baseline prior to initiation of the drug (day of study drug start), transplant day 0, day +7, day +14 and weekly thereafter until day +100, and on days +180, +270, and +365. The total days on pasireotide therapy will be recorded as well as any SAE that is outside the expected for stem cell transplantation. We will also follow the incidence and severity of acute and chronic GVHD. At Duke only, a video capsule endoscopy will be performed in a subset of ten study patients between transplant days +4 through +6. This substudy is descriptive in nature and only used to collect a source of preliminary data that may suggest further study. Patients must agree to participate in this portion of the study and will be asked to sign a clinical consent for performance use of the video capsule endoscopy. Patients will be given detailed instructions to prepare for the procedure. An investigator who is blinded to the group allocation of the patients/volunteers separately will review the images obtained from each of the capsule examinations. Images will be examined for evidence of the four following types of abnormalities: reddened/edema/villous blunting, erosion, ulcer and stenosis. Each of these categories will be scored from 0-3 and summed to obtain an overall index that will range from 0 (normal study) to 12 (severely abnormal in all categories). Citrulline assay Measurement of citrulline concentration has been used as a marker for cytotoxic treatment-induced intestinal damage and it is highly reproducible. The citrulline concentration appears to be a quantitative parameter that is independent of the underlying cause for epithelial cell loss and functions well in the post-SCT setting. Six mls of blood will be collected in heparinized tubes on days 0, 7, and 14. Tubes will be centrifuged according to manufacturer's instructions and the plasma will be collected and stored at -80C until shipment to the laboratory performing the assay. Calprotectin assay Calprotectin has been described as another biomarker of GI injury. During radiation-induced inflammation, leucocytes infiltrate the mucosa and increase the level of fecal calprotectin. At least 50 mg of stool specimen will be collected from patients on days 0, 7, and 14. Samples will be stored at -80C until shipment to the laboratory performing the assay. Calprotectin will be measured with an ELISA kit (CALPRO, Oslo, Norway) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. ;

Study Design

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hematologic Neoplasms
• Hematological Malignancies