Clinical trial Recruiting at 3 sites Phase 1 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Using motixafortide to collect stem cells in sickle cell disease patients

Official title: Sickle Cell Disease Stem Cell Mobilization and Apheresis Using Motixafortide

Run by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NCT06442761 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is testing if a new drug called motixafortide can safely help people with sickle cell disease collect stem cells for future treatments.

More Sickle Cell Disease trials

Quick facts

PhasePhase 1
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment20 (estimated)
SponsorSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Academic / other
Locations3 sites (Birmingham, Alabama and 2 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedNovember 14, 2024
Main results expectedJanuary 2028
Study endsJuly 2028
Registry record updatedSeptember 8, 2026
Trial IDNCT06442761 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are adults aged 18 and older with severe sickle cell disease who are willing to donate their stem cells for future therapies.

Probably not a fit

Patients with mild sickle cell disease or those not eligible for stem cell donation may not benefit from this study.

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

What this trial studies

This clinical trial evaluates the safety and effectiveness of motixafortide in mobilizing hematopoietic stem cells from patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The study is divided into two parts, where participants receive the drug via injection and undergo stem cell collection approximately eight hours later. The primary goal is to assess the safety and tolerability of the drug, while secondary objectives focus on measuring the yield of stem cells collected and determining the optimal dosing strategy for future studies. Participants will be monitored for adverse events and follow-up assessments will occur within 30 days post-treatment.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance stem cell collection methods for patients with sickle cell disease, potentially improving outcomes for future treatments.

How similar studies have gone: While the approach of using motixafortide for stem cell mobilization is relatively novel, similar studies have shown promise in enhancing stem cell collection in other conditions.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) who are ≥18 years of age and willing to donate autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for advancing future gene therapy for SCD after collection of back-up product. Severe SCD, for the purpose of this study, will be defined as participants who are receiving chronic transfusion therapy due to SCD related complications or are eligible for or currently enrolled on an allogeneic transplant protocol.
* Participant must have a documented diagnosis of SCD with documentation of SCD genotype by medical history
* Participants should either have a central line in place, be able to undergo apheresis without the necessity of the insertion of a central venous catheter, or agree to have a central line placed if IV access is inadequate.
* ECOG performance status/Karnofsky score/Lansky score ≥ 80
* White blood cell (WBC) count \>3.0 x 10\^9/L, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>1.0 x 10\^9/L, and platelet count \>150 x 10\^9/L, and hemoglobin \>7.0 gm/dL
* Adequate renal function defined as serum/plasma creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 based on the CKD-Epi equation or the St. Jude equation.
* Adequate liver function defined as direct bilirubin \< 2.5 times the upper limit of normal range; aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \< 5 times the upper limit of normal range.
* Participant's cardiac function (i.e., ejection fraction \>40%) and pulmonary status (i.e., no evidence of pulmonary hypertension) within the last 6 months must be sufficient to undergo apheresis, as assessed by the Principal Investigator or an independent physician evaluating the participant. If an assessment has not been done within the last 6 months, an echocardiogram will be performed.
* Negative serologic tests for syphilis, hepatitis B and C, HIV, and HTLV-1/II
* Feasible manual or automated exchange transfusion plan to achieve hemoglobin S (HbS) near 30% within one week of mobilization
* Female participants of childbearing age should have a negative pregnancy test.
* Participants of childbearing potential should agree to use of a highly effective form of contraception during treatment and for at least 1 month after the last dose of motixafortide. Women of childbearing potential must agree to use 2 methods of effective contraception: One barrier method (e.g. diaphragm, or condom or sponge, each of which are to be combined with a spermicide) and one hormonal method, unless she uses a highly effective method. Highly effective methods of contraception include:

  * Combined (estrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation: oral, intravaginal, transdermal
  * Progestogen-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation: oral, injectable, implantable
  * Intrauterine device (IUD)
  * Intrauterine hormone-releasing system (IUS)
  * Bilateral tubal occlusion
  * Vasectomised partner
  * Sexual abstinence.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Active and painful splenomegaly or splenomegaly (size greater than upper limit of normal on examination).
* Participant who, by medical history, requires rare donor registry RBC units for transfusion, or is unable to receive routine transfusion. Eligible study participants must have undergone prior work-up for the presence of red cell alloantibodies and confirmation of available compatible blood product support
* Known allergy to or contraindication for motixafortide administration, or medications routinely administered during apheresis
* Participant who has had a prior autologous or allogeneic transplantation, inclusive of gene therapy
* Active viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection.
* History of cancer, excluding squamous carcinoma of the skin and cervical carcinoma in situ.
* Participant who has received experimental therapy within 4 weeks prior to providing informed consent
* Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, as assessed by the Investigator
* Concomitant treatment with alternative investigational agent unable to be held for 30 days
* Unwillingness to use a highly effective method of contraception for 1 month after motixafortide
* Pregnancy
* Inability or unwillingness of research participant or legal guardian/ representative to give written informed consent.
* Inability or unwillingness of research participant to hold hydroxyurea for 30 days prior to first dose of study drug

Where it's running

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Birmingham, Alabama, United States
    Recruiting
  • National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute-Cellular and Molecular Therapy Branch
    Bethesda, Maryland, United States
    Recruiting
  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
    Memphis, Tennessee, United States
    Recruiting

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Alexis Leonard, MD — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
  • Study coordinator: Alexis Leonard, MD
  • Email: referralinfo@stjude.org
  • Phone: 888-226-4343

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

  • Cerebrovascular Reactivity Testing with HD-DOT in Sickle Cell Patients

    This study tests whether high-density diffuse optical tomography can measure brain blood flow and oxygen use in people with sickle cell disease, to see how these signals relate to stroke risk.

    Recruiting Washington University School of Medicine · St Louis, Missouri · NCT07776444

  • Adapting and testing PEN-Plus in Zambian primary care

    Aiming to see if the PEN-Plus package can be adapted and used in two Zambian hospitals to better manage chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell in primary care.

    Recruiting Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia · Lusaka, Lusaka Province · NCT07753681

  • Newborn Sickle Cell Screening in Mozambique

    We’re testing a three-part plan to help babies in Mozambique get diagnosed early for sickle cell disease and start care quickly.

    Recruiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · Nhamatanda, Sofala · NCT07719972

  • Optimizing Hydroxyurea in Children with Sickle Cell in Africa

    This study tests whether raising hydroxyurea to a maximum tolerated dose is safe and beneficial for Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia already taking a fixed daily dose.

    Recruiting Phase 1/2 Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati · Kampala · NCT07708714

  • Hematopoietic stem cell editing to treat sickle cell disease

    This study tests whether a patient’s own blood stem cells can be edited to remove the sickle cell triggering gene and then returned to the patient.

    Recruiting Phase 1 Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, Massachusetts · NCT07708350

  • Virtual reality options to help with VOC pain in adults with SCD

    This study tests whether headset-based virtual reality can help reduce pain for adults with sickle cell disease during vaso-occlusive crises treated in an infusion center.

    Recruiting University of Maryland, Baltimore · Baltimore, Maryland · NCT07674277

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.