CD19/CD22 Bicistronic Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells in Children and Young Adults With Recurrent or Refractory CD19/CD22-expressing B Cell Malignancies

Last updated: May 7, 2025
Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

1/2

Condition

Leukemia

Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute

Hematologic Cancer

Treatment

cyclophosphamide

CD19/CD22-CAR-transduced T cells

fludarabine

Clinical Study ID

NCT05442515
10000324
000324-C
  • Ages 3-39
  • All Genders

Study Summary

Background:

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. About 90% of children and young adults who are treated for ALL can now be cured. But if the disease comes back, the survival rate drops to less than 50%. Better treatments are needed for ALL relapses.

Objective:

To test chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy. CARs are genetically modified cells created from each patient s own blood cells. his trial will use a new type of CAR T-cell that is targeting both CD19 and CD22 at the same time. CD19 and CD22 are proteins found on the surface of most types of ALL.

Eligibility:

People aged 3 to 39 with ALL or related B-cell lymphoma that has not been cured by standard therapy.

Design:

Participants will be screened. This will include:

Physical exam

Blood and urine tests

Tests of their lung and heart function

Imaging scans

Bone marrow biopsy. A large needle will be inserted into the body to draw some tissues from the interior of a bone.

Lumbar puncture. A needle will be inserted into the lower back to draw fluid from the area around the spinal cord.

Participants will undergo apheresis. Their blood will circulate through a machine that separates blood into different parts. The portion containing T cells will be collected; the remaining cells and fluids will be returned to the body. The T cells will be changed in a laboratory to make them better at fighting cancer cells.

Participants will receive chemotherapy starting 4 or 5 days before the CAR treatment.

Participants will be admitted to the hospital. Their own modified T cells will be returned to their body.

Participants will visit the clinic 2 times a week for 28 days after treatment. Follow-up will continue for 15 years....

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

  • Diagnosis

  • Participant must:

  • Have pathology confirmed B cell ALL (not isolated to the testis or CNS),CML with ALL transformation, or high-grade lymphoma (e.g., Burkitt slymphoma, B-lymphoblastic lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma,inclusive of low-grade lymphoma that has transformed to high gradedisease); and

  • Have relapsed or been refractory after at least one standard chemotherapyregimen and at least one salvage treatment. Participants with Philadelphiachromosome + ALL must have failed prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor; and

  • Be ineligible for allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT), have refused SCT,or have recurred after SCT; and

  • Have no evidence of graft-versus- host disease (GVHD) and have beenwithout immunosuppressive agents for at least 30 days prior to apheresis,if undergone prior allogeneic SCT; and

  • Be unable to access (in a timely manner), ineligible for, or haverelapsed/failed after or not responded to a commercially available CD19CAR T-cell construct; and

  • Have evidence of at least minimal residual disease or PET-avid disease (lymphoma) at the time of enrollment.

  • CD22/CD19 expression

  • CD19 must be detected on >15% of the malignant cells by immunohistochemistry or > 80% by flow cytometry.

  • CD22 positivity must be confirmed.

  • Age >= 3 years of age and <=39 years of age at time of enrollment.

  • Clinical Performance status: Participants >= 16 years of age: Karnofsky >= 50%;Participants < 16 years of age: Lansky scale >= 50%.

  • Participants must have adequate organ and marrow function as defined below:

  • leukocytes >= 750/mcL*

  • platelets >= 50,000/mcL*

  • total bilirubin <=2 X ULN (except in the case of participants with documentedGilbert s disease > 3x ULN)

  • AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) <=10 x institutional upper limit of normal

  • creatinine <= the maximum for age listed in the table below OR

  • measured creatinine clearance >=60 mL/min/1.73 m^2 for participants withcreatinine levels above the max listed below per age.

  • Age (Years) <= 5 || Maximum Serum Creatinine (mg/dL) <= 0.8

  • Age (Years) 6 to <= 10 || Maximum Serum Creatinine (mg/dL) <= 1.0

  • Age (Years) >10 || Maximum Serum Creatinine (mg/dL) <= 1.2

  • a participant will not be excluded because of pancytopenia >= Grade 3if it is due to underlying bone marrow involvement by leukemia

  • Central nervous system (CNS) Status

  • Participants with leukemia with CNS 1 and 2 disease are eligible in the absence ofexclusion criteria

  • Participants of child-bearing or child-fathering potential must be willing topractice effective birth control from the time of enrollment until 12 monthsfollowing completion of study treatment for women and for 4 months followingcompletion of study treatment for men.

  • Participants who are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed must agree todiscontinue/postpone breastfeeding while on study therapy and until 1 month afterthe administration of CAR.

  • Cardiac function: Left ventricular ejection fraction >= 45% or fractional shortening >=28%

  • Pulmonary Function

  • Baseline oxygen saturation >92% on room air at rest

  • Ability of participant or Legally Authorized Representative (LAR) to understand andthe willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

  • Ability and willingness of participant or Legally Authorized Representative (LAR) toco- enroll on 15-C-0028: Follow-up Evaluation for Gene-Therapy Related DelayedAdverse Events after Participation in Pediatric Oncology Branch Clinical Trials.

Exclusion

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Participants meeting any of the following criteria are not eligible for participation in the study:

  • Participants with CNS3 disease, neurologic signs of CNS disease, radiologicallydetected active CNS lymphoma

  • Hyperleukocytosis (>= 50,000 blasts/microL)

  • Positive serum or urine beta-HCG pregnancy test performed at screening.

  • Participants will be excluded based on prior therapy if they fail to meet followingwashout criteria:

  • Therapy: Systemic Chemotherapy, anti-neoplastic agents, antibody- basedtherapies

  • Washout*: >=2 weeks

  • Exceptions: 6 weeks for clofarabine or nitrosoureas; No washout for priorintrathecal chemotherapy, steroid therapy, hydroxyurea (no dose increaseswithin prior 2 weeks) or ALL maintenance-type chemotherapy (vincristine, 6-mercaptopurine, oral methotrexate, or a tyrosine kinase inhibitor forparticipants with Ph+ ALL) provided there is recovery from any acute toxiceffects

  • Therapy: Radiation

  • Washout*: >=3 weeks

  • Exceptions: No time restriction with radiation therapy if the volume of bonemarrow treated is less than 10% and the participant has measurable/evaluabledisease outside the radiation window

  • Therapy: Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant

  • Washout*: >= 100 days since SCT; >= 30 days since completion ofimmunosuppression; >= 6 weeks since donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI)

  • Exceptions: Cannot have evidence of active graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

  • Therapy: CAR T-Cell Therapy or other Adoptive Cell Therapy

  • Washout*: > 30 days post infusion

  • Washout: Time between therapy and apheresis

  • Positive HIV antibodies consistent with active HIV.

  • Positive hepatitis C antibodies or positive Hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAG)indicative of current/active HCV/HBV.

  • Active second malignancy other than in situ carcinoma of the cervix, unless thetumor was treated with curative intent at least two years previously and participantis in remission.

  • History of severe, immediate hypersensitivity reaction attributed to compounds ofsimilar chemical or biologic composition to any agents used in study or in themanufacturing of the cells.

  • Uncontrolled, symptomatic, intercurrent illness or social situations that wouldlimit compliance with study requirements or in the opinion of the PI would pose anunacceptable risk to the participant.

Study Design

Total Participants: 126
Treatment Group(s): 3
Primary Treatment: cyclophosphamide
Phase: 1/2
Study Start date:
December 28, 2022
Estimated Completion Date:
July 01, 2029

Study Description

Background:

  • Despite improvements in therapy, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) contributes to significant morbidity and mortality for children and young adults with cancer. CD19-CAR and CD22-CAR therapy have proven highly effective in inducing remission in patients with relapsed/refractory disease.

  • Immune escape has been observed by several groups following CD19-CAR and CD22- CAR therapy for B-ALL. Investigation of this phenomenon reveals a complex biology responsible for loss or downregulation of CD19 and/or CD22 expression observed in these cases.

  • The challenges encountered with currently available CD19- and CD22-directed CAR T cells in B-ALL demonstrates the need for combinatorial treatment strategies simultaneously targeting two antigens, such as CD19 and CD22, to enhance the long-term effectiveness of CARs.

  • We have previously treated patients with B-ALL on a phase 1/2 clinical trial using a bivalent CD19/22 CAR T-cell as a first combinatorial treatment strategy. This CAR T-cell construct is well-tolerated and has yielded responses however there has been limited CAR T cell expansion and persistence. Additionally, the previously tested CD19/CD22 bivalent CAR T-cell construct is limited in its ability to target CD22.

  • This new CD19/22 targeted construct being tested in this clinical trial has improved dual targeting capability based on preclinical data/evaluation.

Objectives:

  • Phase I: Assess the safety of administering escalating doses of autologous CD19/CD22- CAR engineered T cells in children and young adults with B cell ALL (stratified by disease burden) or lymphoma following a cyclophosphamide/fludarabine conditioning regimen.

  • Phase II: Determine the efficacy of CD19/CD22 therapy in participants stratified by disease burden.

Eligibility:

-Participants between >= 3 years and <= 39 years of age, with CD19+/CD22+ B cell ALL or lymphoma who have relapsed or have refractory disease after at least one standard chemotherapy regimen and one salvage regimen, with no alternative curative options.

Design:

  • Phase I, 3 + 3 dose escalation design across 3 cohorts (B-ALL/B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma: A: low-disease burden (<25 % marrow blasts without extramedullary disease) vs. B: high-disease burden (>= 25 % marrow blasts or with EMD): C: B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma using the following dose levels: -2: 1 x 10^5 transduced T cells/kg (+/- 20%); -1: 3 x 10^5 transduced T cells/kg (+/- 20%); 1: 1 x 10^6 transduced T cells/kg (+/- 20%); and 2: 3x 10^6 transduced T cells/kg (+/- 20%). Cohorts will enroll concurrently.

  • Participants will be treated based on disease burden and will receive 1 of 2 lymphodepleting preparative regimens:

    • Lymphodepleting preparative regimen number 1: Fludarabine (30 mg/m^2/d x 3 on Days -4, -3, -2) and cyclophosphamide (900 mg/m^2/d x 1 on Day -2) followed by infusion of CD19/CD22-CAR T-cells on D0.

    • Lymphodepleting preparative regimen #2: Fludarabine (30 mg/m2/d x 4 on Days -5, -4, -3, -2) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2/d x 2 on Days -3, -2) followed by infusion of CD19/CD22-CAR T-cells on D0.

    • Determination for use of LD regimen #1 versus #2 will be based on pre-treatment absolute lymphocyte count, pre-existing cytopenias, receipt of prior CAR T-cell therapy, high disease burden and assessment of infection risk.

  • Participants will be evaluated sequentially for toxicity, antitumor effects, CAR expansion and persistence, and other biologic correlatives.

Connect with a study center

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    Bethesda, Maryland 20892
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

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