Ibrutinib Combination Therapy in Transplant Ineligible Individuals With Newly Diagnosed Primary CNS Lymphoma

Last updated: April 13, 2026
Sponsor: Canadian Cancer Trials Group
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2

Condition

Non-hodgkin's Lymphoma

Marginal Zone Lymphoma

White Cell Disorders

Treatment

Ibrutinib

Methotrexate

Rituximab (where available)

Clinical Study ID

NCT05998642
I244
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

This study is being done to answer the following question: Can the addition of a new drug to the usual treatment lower the chance of primary central nervous system lymphoma growing or spreading?

This study is being done to find out if this approach is better or worse than the usual approach for this type of cancer. The usual approach is defined as the care most people get for Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL).

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients must have histological or cytological evidence of primary central nervoussystem (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL); patients with vitreo-retinal lymphoma (NHL) orcerebrospinal fluid (CSF) positive disease are eligible providing there is CNSinvolvement on MRI compatible with PCNSL

  • Patients must be 18 years of age or older

  • Patients must be ineligible (≥65 years old or comorbidities) for high-dosechemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Patients must be consideredfit, as determined by the treating physician, to receive high dose methotrexate,ibrutinib and rituximab as per protocol

  • Patients must have consented to the release of a tumour block from their braintumour, if available (see Section 12.0). The centre/pathologist must have agreed tothe submission of the specimen(s).

  • Presence of radiological documented disease. Patients believed to have residualdisease following a complete resection, even if radiology is negative or equivocal,are eligible provided they are planned for standard of care methotrexate/rituximab.

  • No prior systemic therapy other than the following situations:

  • Methotrexate +/- rituximab: Patients may have received one cycle ofmethotrexate with or without rituximab as standard of care therapy, but must beenrolled no longer than 4 weeks after first dose of methotrexatecorticosteroids for PCNSL is permitted.

  • Use of corticosteroids (topical are permitted) on study (except for short-termtreatment of infusion reactions and nausea prophylaxis) is not permitted.Patients receiving corticosteroids me be eligible, providing:

  • they are receiving not more than dexamethasone 8mg/day (or equivalent)

  • The corticosteroid will be tapered and completely discontinued within 7 days ofstarting the study protocol treatment. Patients who would require continued orconcurrent treatment with systemic steroids are not eligible.

  • Intrathecal therapy: Patients may have received intrathecal therapy at the time ofdiagnostic lumbar puncture. No washout period is needed prior to enrollment.

  • Previous major surgery is permitted provided that surgery occurred at least 28 daysprior to patient enrollment and that wound healing has occurred. The 28 day cut-offdoes not apply to surgery for PCNSL; treatment may begin following brainbiopsy/resection when deemed safe by the treating investigator

  • No prior radiation therapy for PCNSL is allowed

  • ECOG performance status 0-2, and ECOG 3 permitted if secondary to primary CNSlymphoma and expected to reverse with treatment

  • Patients must be able to swallow oral medications and have no known gastrointestinaldisorders that may interfere with absorption (such as malabsorption).

  • Patients must have adequate organ and marrow function measured within 7 days priorto enrollment including: Absolute neutrophils ≥ 1.0 x 10^9/L (independent of growthfactor support); Platelets ≥ 75 x 10^9/L; Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x UNL; ALT ≤ 3.0 x UNL (ifAST >3 x UNL consult with CTG re: eligibility); Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

  • Patient is able (i.e. sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality oflife questionnaire in either English or French

  • Patients must be accessible for treatment and follow up. Patients enrolled on thistrial must be treated and followed at the participating centre

  • In accordance with CCTG policy, protocol treatment is to begin within 2 working daysof patient enrollment

  • Women/men of childbearing potential must have agreed to use a highly effectivecontraceptive method.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with secondary central nervous system non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

  • Patients with significant third space accumulation (pleural effusions, ascites)which cannot be adequately drained in advance of methotrexate administration

  • Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatmentdoes not have the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment ofthe investigational regimen are eligible for this trial. However, patients on activeanticancer therapy for other advanced or metastatic malignancies are not eligible.

  • Patients with a known hypersensitivity to the study drugs or their components

  • Active, uncontrolled bacterial, fungal, or viral infection within 7 days prior toenrollment. Patients with hepatitis B serology suggestive of past infection (forexample anti-HB-c positive but HBsAG and anti-HBs negative) are eligible if they areHBV DNA negative are being or will be concurrently treated with anti-viral therapy.Patients with a history of hepatitis C which has been treated and is no longeractive are eligible. Patients with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with CD4count < 350 cells/microliter are ineligible. Patients who are HIV positive areeligible, provided:

  • They have received antiretroviral therapy for at least 4 weeks prior toenrollment, and the anti-viral drugs used are not known to have clinicallyrelevant drug-drug interactions with ibrutinib AND

  • HIV viral load must be < 400 copies/ml within 16 weeks prior to enrollment ANDNo history of opportunistic infections within the past year

  • Serious illnesses or medical conditions which would not permit the patient to bemanaged according to protocol

  • Patients may not receive concurrent treatment with other anti-cancer therapy orinvestigational agents while on protocol therapy

  • Patients with prior allogenic bone marrow transplant or double umbilical cord bloodtransplantation.

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women

  • Patients requiring:

  1. Anticoagulation with warfarin or equivalent vitamin K antagonists

  2. Continued requirement for therapy with a strong CYP3A inhibitor or inducer (seetrial webpage for list)

  3. Corticosteroid treatment with > 8mg of dexamethasone (or equivalent) at thetime of enrollment

  4. Supplements containing fish oil or vitamin E, and grapefruit juice should beavoided

  • Live attenuated vaccination administered within 30 days prior to enrollment

  • Patients with clinically significant cardiac disease, including:

  • angina pectoris, symptomatic pericarditis, coronary artery bypass grafting,coronary angioplasty, or stenting, or myocardial infarction in the previous 12months;

  • history of documented congestive heart failure (New York Heart Associationfunctional classification III-IV) or cardiomyopathy;

  • uncontrolled hypertension (per Canadian guidelines);

  • atrial or ventricular arrhythmias; patients with controlled atrial fibrillationare eligible

  • Patients with distant clinically significant cardiac history should have a LVEF ≥ 50% Baseline LVEF is not required for patients with only a cardiac history ofhypertension which is now controlled.

  • Patients may not receive concurrent treatment with other anti-cancer therapy orinvestigational agents while on protocol therapy.

  • Patients with prior allogenic bone marrow transplant or double umbilical cord bloodtransplantation (dUCBT).

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.

  • Patients requiring:

  1. Anticoagulation with warfarin or equivalent vitamin K antagonists

  2. Continued requirement for therapy with a strong CYP3A inhibitor or inducer

  3. Corticosteroid treatment with > 8mg of dexamethasone (or equivalent) at thetime of enrollment

  4. Supplements containing fish oil or vitamin E, and grapefruit juice should beavoided.

  • Live attenuated vaccination administered within 30 days prior to enrollment, orwithin 30 days prior to start date of pre-study methotrexate +/- rituximab forparticipants who receive one cycle before enrollment.

Study Design

Total Participants: 30
Treatment Group(s): 3
Primary Treatment: Ibrutinib
Phase: 2
Study Start date:
February 13, 2024
Estimated Completion Date:
December 31, 2028

Study Description

If a patient decides to take part in this study, the patient will get 3 months of treatment with methotrexate and ibrutinib as well as rituximab (if rituximab is given for PCNSL in the applicable province). This will be followed by treatment with ibrutinib alone for up to 2 years of total treatment time.

After finishing study treatment, and even if patients stop treatment early, the study doctor will continue to follow the patient's condition for the rest of their life or until all study results are known (in approximately 6 years), watch for side effects and keep track of the patient's health. If there are any side effects that may be related to ibrutinib, the patient will be asked to come back to the clinic every 3 months until side effects improve. If there are no side effects from ibrutinib the patient will be asked to come back to clinic every 6 months until cancer worsens, and then every 6 months may be contacted by phone.

Connect with a study center

  • Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre

    Calgary, Alberta T2N 5G2
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre

    Calgary 5913490, Alberta 5883102 T2N 5G2
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • BCCA - Vancouver

    Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • BCCA - Vancouver Cancer Centre

    Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • BCCA - Vancouver

    Vancouver 6173331, British Columbia 5909050 V5Z 4E6
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences

    Hamilton, Ontario L8V 5C2
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

    Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Health Network

    Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences

    Hamilton 5969782, Ontario 6093943 L8V 5C2
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

    Ottawa 6094817, Ontario 6093943 K1H 8L6
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • University Health Network

    Toronto 6167865, Ontario 6093943 M5G 2M9
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • The Research Institute of the McGill University

    Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • CHU de Quebec-Hopital l'Enfant-Jesus (HEJ)

    Quebec City, Quebec G1J 1Z4
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • CHU de Quebec-Hopital l'Enfant-Jesus (HEJ)

    Québec, Quebec G1J 1Z4
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • The Research Institute of the McGill University

    Montreal 6077243, Quebec 6115047 H4A 3J1
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • CHU de Quebec-Hopital l'Enfant-Jesus (HEJ)

    Québec 6325494, Quebec 6115047 G1J 1Z4
    Canada

    Site Not Available

  • Allan Blair Cancer Centre

    Regina, Saskatchewan S4T 7T1
    Canada

    Active - Recruiting

  • Allan Blair Cancer Centre

    Regina 6119109, Saskatchewan 6141242 S4T 7T1
    Canada

    Site Not Available

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