Abatacept for the Prevention of Graft Versus Host Disease after Cord Blood Transplant in Patients with Hematologic Blood Cancers, ABBA CORD Trial

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients with the following hematologic malignancies: * Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): High-risk and intermediate risk AML including: ** Antecedent hematological disease (e.g., myelodysplasia [MDS]) ** Treatment-related leukemia ** Complete remission ([CR]1) with poor or intermediate-risk cytogenetics or molecular markers (e.g. Flt 3 mutation, 11q23, deletion [del] 5, del 7, complex cytogenetics) ** CR2 or CR3 ** Induction failure or 1st relapse with =< 10% blasts in the marrow * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) ** High-risk CR1 including: *** Poor-risk cytogenetics (e.g., Philadelphia chromosome translocation [t](9;22) or 11q23 rearrangements) *** Philadelphia chromosome-like ALL *** Presence of minimal disease by flow cytometry after 2 or more cycles of chemotherapy ** No CR within 4 weeks of initial treatment ** Induction failure with =< 10% blasts in the marrow ** CR2 or CR3 * Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), intermediate, high or very high risk by the revised international prognostic scoring system (IPSS-R) or treatment related MDS * Bi-phenotypic or mixed-phenotypic acute leukemia in ** CR ** Induction failure or 1st relapse with =< 10% blasts in the marrow * Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in second chronic phase after accelerated or blast crisis * Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) * Hodgkin’s lymphoma that is relapsed or refractory
• Age >= 18 years, =< 70 years (yrs)
• Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >= 80 for fludarabine/cyclophosphamide/thiotepa/total body irradiation (Flu/Cy/Thio/TBI); KPS > 60 for Flu/treosulfan [Treo]/TBI
• Patients without a suitable HLA-matched related or unrelated donor
• Patient with the following CB units: * At least two 4-8/8 HLA high resolution matched CB units. Both must have a cell dose of 1.5x10^7 total nucleated cell (TNC)/kg each and 1.5x10^5 CD34+/kg * A minimum of 1 CB unit as back up
• Concurrent therapy for extramedullary leukemia or central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma: Concurrent therapy or prophylaxis for testicular leukemia, CNS leukemia, and CNS lymphoma including standard intrathecal chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy will be allowed as clinically indicated. Such treatment may continue until the planned course is completed. Subjects must be in CNS remission at the time of protocol enrollment if there is a history of CNS involvement. Maintenance therapy after transplant is allowed
• Subjects must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
• For women of childbearing potential: agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use a contraceptive method with a failure rate of < 1% per year during the treatment period and for 12 months after the last dose of abatacept * A woman is considered to be of childbearing potential if she is < 60 years old, postmenarcheal, has not reached a postmenopausal state (< 12 continuous months of amenorrhea with no identified cause other than menopause), and has not undergone surgical sterilization (removal of ovaries and/or uterus) * Examples of contraceptive methods with a failure rate of < 1% per year include bilateral tubal ligation, male sterilization, hormonal contraceptives that inhibit ovulation, hormone-releasing intrauterine devices, and copper intrauterine devices. The reliability of sexual abstinence should be evaluated in relation to the duration of the clinical trial and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the patient. Periodic abstinence (e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, or postovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.
• For men: agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use contraceptive measures with female partners of reproductive potential, and agreement to refrain from donating sperm, as defined below: * With female partners of childbearing potential, men must remain abstinent or use a condom plus an additional contraceptive method that together result in a failure rate of < 1% per year during the treatment period and for 12 months after the last dose of abatacept. Men must refrain from donating sperm during this same period. With pregnant female partners, men must remain abstinent or use a condom during the treatment period and for at least 12 months after the last dose of abatacept. * The reliability of sexual abstinence should be evaluated in relation to the duration of the clinical trial and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the patient. Periodic abstinence (e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, or postovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with inadequate organ function as defined by: * Creatinine clearance < 50ml/min * Bilirubin >= 2X institutional upper limit of normal unless Gilbert syndrome * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) >= 3X institutional upper limit of normal * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) >= 3X institutional upper limit of normal * Pulmonary function: Hemoglobin corrected diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCOc) < 60% normal * Cardiac: left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%
• Patients with uncontrolled inter-current illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women are excluded from this study because chemotherapy involved with reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) have the significant potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects
• Any condition that would, in the investigator's judgment, interfere with full participation in the study, including administration of study drug and attending required study visits; pose a significant risk to the subject; or interfere with interpretation of study data
• Known allergies, hypersensitivity, or intolerance to any of the study medications, excipients, or similar compounds
• Presence of donor-specific antibodies against chosen graft source
• Hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) > 5
• Prior autologous or allogenic stem cell transplant within the preceding 12 months