Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Phase 1 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Thiotepa-based Conditioning With Reduced Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant in High-Risk Blood C cancers

Official title: Phase 1 Trial of Thiotepa-based Conditioning Regimen With De-escalated Post-graft Cyclophosphamide for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Hematologic Malignancies

Run by University of Pittsburgh · NCT07565220 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This phase 1 trial tests a Thiotepa, Busulfan, and Fludarabine conditioning regimen with de-escalated post-transplant cyclophosphamide to see if it can improve outcomes after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for high-risk blood cancers.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 1
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment48 (estimated)
SponsorUniversity of Pittsburgh
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy, radiation, cyclophosphamide, fludarabine
Locations1 site (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJuly 27, 2026
Main results expectedJune 1, 2029
Study endsNovember 1, 2030
Registry record updatedAugust 18, 2026
Trial IDNCT07565220 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults aged 18-70 with ALL, AML in remission, or closely related high-risk acute leukemias who are considered suitable for low- or high-intensity conditioning and have an eligible donor.

Probably not a fit

Patients unlikely to benefit include those who do not respond to conditioning, have incompatible donors, or experience prohibitive toxicity from the regimen.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a phase 1 study evaluating a conditioning regimen of Thiotepa, Busulfan, and Fludarabine (TBF) followed by post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in patients receiving HLA-matched allogeneic stem cell transplants. The goal is to de-escalate PTCy dosing to reduce toxicity while maintaining anti-leukemia activity, and to add thiotepa to potentially strengthen disease control. An exploratory aim will look at pre-transplant biomarkers to tailor regimen intensity. Eligible patients are adults 18-70 who are candidates for low- or high-intensity conditioning and have ALL, AML, or related acute leukemias or high-risk hematologic malignancies. The study is conducted at UMPC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, led by Sawa Ito, MD.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, participants may experience lower treatment-related toxicity and improved graft-versus-leukemia effects, potentially reducing relapse and improving graft-versus-host disease balance.

How similar studies have gone: Previous variants of post-transplant cyclophosphamide-based regimens have shown promise in reducing GVHD, with ongoing work to optimize dosing and add thiotepa for enhanced disease control.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must be considered appropriate candidates for either the low- or high-intensity conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation based on the following age-related criteria:

   1. Age 50-70 years old or
   2. Age 18-49 and unfit for a conventional myeloablative conditioning regimen per the treating physician
2. Patients have one of the following diagnoses:

   1. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in first or subsequent morphological remission (\<5% marrow blasts by morphology).
   2. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first or subsequent morphological remission (\<5% marrow blasts by morphology) with or without hematologic recovery.
   3. Other acute leukemia or related neoplasm (including but not limited to 'mixed phenotype' 'biphenotypic', 'acute undifferentiated' or 'ambiguous lineage' acute leukemia, blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, lymphoblastic lymphoma, Burkitt leukemia/lymphoma, mast cell leukemia or chronic myeloid leukemia with blast crisis) in first or subsequent morphological remission (\<5% marrow blasts by morphology) with or without hematologic recovery.
   4. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with a history of excess blasts, with \>5% marrow blasts by morphology after receiving at least one cycle of treatment, including but not limited to hypomethylating agent, BCL-2 inhibitor, cytoreductive chemotherapy.
   5. High-risk myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) with no evidence of high-grade bone marrow fibrosis or massive splenomegaly at the time of enrollment.
3. Patients with an 8/8 HLA-matched (HLA-A, B, C, DRB1) related or unrelated donor capable of donating peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC)
4. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
5. Sexually active fertile subjects and their partners must agree to use highly effective methods of contraception prior to study entry, during the course of the study, and until tacrolimus or other immunosuppressive therapy for GVHD is discontinued (whichever is later). An additional contraceptive method, such as a barrier method (e.g., condom), is required. In addition, men must agree not to donate sperm and women must agree not to donate eggs (ova, oocyte) for the purpose of reproduction during these same periods.
6. Female subjects of childbearing potential must not be pregnant or breastfeeding at screening. Female subjects are considered to be of childbearing potential unless one of the following criteria is met:

   1. Permanent sterilization (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy) or documented postmenopausal status (defined as 12 months of amenorrhea in a woman \> 45 years-of-age in the absence of other biological or physiological causes). Note: Documentation may include review of medical records, medical examination, or medical history interview by study site staff.

Exclusion Criteria:

Subjects will be excluded from the study if they meet any of the following criteria.

For high-intensity regimen:

1. Poor performance status with Karnofsky Score \<70%
2. Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) hematopoietic cell transplant co-morbidity index (HCT-CI) score \>5
3. Patients with active central nervous system (CNS) involvement refractory to intrathecal chemotherapy and/or standard craniospinal radiation.
4. Patients who are positive for HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV1 or HTLV2.
5. Patients with uncontrolled infections for whom alloSCT is considered contraindicated by the consulting infectious disease physician.
6. Patients with organ dysfunction, including:

   1. Renal insufficiency creatinine clearance \<45 ml/min/1.72m2 measured by 24-hr urine specimen
   2. Left ventricular ejection fraction \<45%
   3. Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) corrected \<50% or FEV1 \<50%
   4. Liver function abnormality: total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \>5 times the upper limit of normal should be evaluated by a gastroenterologist. If a gastroenterologist considers that alloSCT is contraindicated, the patient will be excluded from the protocol.
7. Patients who have received previous allogeneic transplantation.
8. Patients with a life expectancy \<12 months due to co-existing diseases other than hematologic malignancies.
9. Patients with any other significant medical conditions that would make them unsuitable for transplantation, as determined by the PI.
10. Patients with a known hypersensitivity to cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, fludarabine, busulfan, tacrolimus, or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).
11. Patients who have received checkpoint inhibitors within three months of transplantation, unless an exception is made by the PI.

For low-intensity regimen

1. Poor performance status with Karnofsky Score \<60%
2. Patients with active CNS involvement refractory to intrathecal chemotherapy and/or standard craniospinal radiation.
3. Patients who are positive for HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV1 or HTLV2.
4. Patients with uncontrolled infections for whom alloSCT is considered contraindicated by the consulting infectious disease physician.
5. Patients with organ dysfunction, including:

   1. Renal insufficiency creatinine clearance \<40 ml/min/1.72m2 measured by 24-hr urine specimen
   2. Left ventricular ejection fraction \<40%
   3. DLCO corrected\< 50% or FEV1\<50%
   4. Liver function abnormality: total bilirubin, AST, ALT\>5 times the upper limit of normal should be evaluated by a gastroenterologist. If a gastroenterologist considers that alloSCT is contraindicated, the patient will be excluded from the protocol.
6. Patients who have received previous allogeneic transplantation.
7. Patients with a life expectancy \<12 months from co-existing disease other than hematologic malignancies
8. Patients with any other significant medical conditions that would make them unsuitable for transplantation, as determined by the PI.
9. Patients with a known hypersensitivity to cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, fludarabine, busulfan, tacrolimus, or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).
10. Patients who have received checkpoint inhibitors within three months of transplantation, unless an exception is made by the PI.

Where it's running

  • UMPC Hillman Cancer Center
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
    Recruiting

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Sawa M Ito, MD — UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
  • Study coordinator: Amy Rogers, RN, BSN
  • Email: rodgera@upmc.edu
  • Phone: 412-623-4036

Similar studies

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How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.