L-Carnitine for Treatment of Pegasparaginase-Induced Hepatotoxicity

2016 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruham Alshiekh-Nasany ◽  
Dan Douer

Introduction: Similar to pediatric regimens, multiple doses of L-asparaginase (PEG-Asp) are being increasingly used in adults with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with promising results. One of the most common side effects of the drug in adults is high-grade hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis. Despite being almost always reversible and may not recur, clinicians may still be reluctant to continue with PEG-Asp in patients with liver toxicity, losing the benefit from multiple doses of the drug. Case Report: We describe a case of adult ALL who developed PEG-Asp-related high grade liver toxicity. The rising hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis rapidly and permanently reversed using the amino-acid derivative L-carnitine. This case goes in line with similar observations in animal models and humans. Conclusion:L-Carnitine may show therapeutic benefit in PEG-Asp-related hepatotoxicity and should be considered in clinical trials of the drug.

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 2671-2671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick W. Burke ◽  
Ibrahim Aldoss ◽  
Matthew A. Lunning ◽  
Vassilios I. Avramis ◽  
Ann M. Mohrbacher ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Cure rates of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have markedly improved to approximately 80%, while in adult ALL the rates remain 40-50%. Pediatric ALL regimens contain higher doses of non-myelosuppressive chemotherapy, e.g., vincristine, corticosteroids, and, particularly, higher cumulative doses of asparaginase. Asparaginase use in adults was previously limited due to toxicity concerns. However, several recent studies, using pediatric regimens in adults, contain higher cumulative doses of asparaginase and are showing promising preliminary results. In these studies it was also noted that the long-acting pegaspargase (PEG-ASN) was much more commonly associated with hepatotoxicity in adults than in children. Although hepatotoxicity appears to be the commonest adverse effect of PEG-ASN in adults, it has not been well defined. We report the frequency and characteristics of PEG-ASN-related high-grade hepatotoxicity after multiple doses in adults treated by a pediatric regimen. Methods Between July 2004 and July 2009, 51 adults aged 18 to 57 years were enrolled on a phase II trial with a pediatric ALL regimen that included six planned PEG-ASN doses. PEG-ASN-related toxicities were carefully monitored on a weekly basis after each dose and reported using NCI CTCAE v3.0 for 185 doses delivered. The PEG-ASN dosing schedule was: two doses in induction phases I and II, and four during post-induction cycles (ASH Abstract 1495, 2012). Each PEG-ASN dose was 2000 IU/m2/dose IV, given at intervals of four weeks or greater. Pegaspargase was not discontinued and subsequent doses were not reduced after hepatotoxicity. Results A total of 192 pegaspargase doses were delivered (3.8 doses/patient), with 23 patients receiving all six doses. Of the 28 patients who received fewer than six doses, only 10 (20%) discontinued due non-hepatic toxicity (pancreatitis, allergy, and DVT). Eight (16%) patients discontinued due to allogeneic HSCT while in CR1, while nine (18%) discontinued for other reasons (death post-induction, induction failure, and relapse). Grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia occurred in 16 patients (31%) and in 23 doses (12%); grade 3/4 transaminitis occurred in 33 patients (65%) and in 62 doses (34%). Patients with grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia tended to be older than those without hepatotoxicity (median age 39 vs 31 years), but all other baseline characteristics were similar. Results of different parameters related to high-grade liver toxicity are detailed in Table 1. Patients with grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis received a mean of 4.0 and 4.3 PEG-ASN doses, while the mean number of PEG-ASN doses causing hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis was only 1.4 and 1.9 doses per patient, respectively. Those without hepatotoxicity received 2.8 PEG-ASN doses per patient. Induction I had the highest incidence (20% of doses delivered) of grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia. High-grade transaminitis was spread more evenly among cycles. Grade 3/4 hepatotoxicity was long, with a median duration of 34 days to return to grade 1 for bilirubin and 38 days to return to grade 2 for transaminitis. Of the 16 patients with grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia, five did not receive a subsequent PEG-ASN dose for other reasons; of the 11 other patients who received subsequent doses, five (45%) did not re-experience the same toxicity. Of the 33 patients with grade 3/4 transaminitis, eight did not receive a subsequent PEG-ASN dose due to other reasons; of the 25 other patients who received subsequent doses, 10 (40%) did not have this toxicity recur. Summary Our study shows in adults with ALL treated with multiple doses of PEG-ASN that: (1) high-grade hepatoxicity (grade 3/4 hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis) is a common adverse effect of PEG-ASN; (2) recovery from hepatotoxicity is often long and can delay subsequent chemotherapy; (3) high-grade hepatotoxicity did not necessarily recur after subsequent doses and did not lead to PEG-ASN discontinuation; (4) the dose and schedule of other hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic drugs should be adjusted during periods of PEG-ASN-related hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, although PEG-ASN at this dose and interval is associated in adults with a high rate of hepatotoxicity, it is tolerable and can be given again despite earlier PEG-ASN-related hepatotoxicity. Disclosures: Douer: Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals : Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 45-46
Author(s):  
Sarah K Tasian ◽  
Yunfeng Dai ◽  
Meenakshi Devidas ◽  
Kathryn G Roberts ◽  
Richard C Harvey ◽  
...  

Background: Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) occurs in 5-30% of children and adolescents/young adults (AYAs) with B-ALL, is driven by genetic alterations that induce constitutive cytokine receptor and kinase signaling, and is associated with poor clinical outcomes across the older pediatric-to-adult age spectrum (Tasian Blood 2017c, Reshmi Blood 2017, Roberts Blood 2018). Rearrangement and/or overexpression of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2+) occurs in 50% of Ph-like ALL cases with frequently co-occurring JAK2 or JAK1 point mutations or IL7R indel mutations. This study reports the clinical outcomes of children and AYAs with newly-diagnosed National Cancer Institute (NCI) standard-risk (SR) or high-risk (HR) CRLF2+ ALL without Down syndrome treated on four successive Children's Oncology Group (COG) phase 3 clinical trials from 2003 to 2018. Methods: We retrospectively assessed demographic characteristics, laboratory data, and clinical outcomes of 3757 patients with B-ALL treated on COG trials AALL0331 and AALL0932 (SR) and AALL0232 and AALL1131 (HR) whose diagnostic leukemia specimens were analysed by low-density microarray (LDA), fluorescence in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or anchored multiplex PCR testing (Harvey and Tasian Blood Advances 2020). Minimal residual disease (MRD) was assessed by flow cytometry at the end of induction (EOI) and at the end of consolidation for a subset of EOI MRD+ patients. Results: We identified 77/1541 (5.0%) SR and 244/2216 (11.0%) HR patients with CRLF2+ B-ALL in this cohort. Amongst those with diagnostic leukemia specimens analysed by LDA, 57/72 (79.2%) of SR CRLF2+ and 175/213 (82.2%) of HR CRLF2+ patients were positive for the Ph-like gene expression profile with an 8-gene score ≥0.5. P2RY8-CRLF2 fusions and IGH-CRLF2 translocations were detected in 64/77 (83.1%) and 10/77 (13.0%) of SR CRLF2+ patients and in 98/244 (40.2%) and 103/244 (42.2%) of HR CRLF2+ patients, respectively. CRLF2 rearrangements or F232C mutations were not found in the remaining 3 SR and 43 HR CRLF2+ patients, although other Ph-like alterations were discovered in some (n=3 IGH-EPOR fusions, 1 IL7R indel). Importantly, CRLF2+ vs non-CRLF2-overexpressing (CRLF2-) status was associated with older age (10.8 ±6.5 vs 7.8 ±5.8 years [mean ±SD], p<0.0001), leukocytosis (diagnostic white blood cell count 77.5 ±98.5 vs 49.8 ±119.4 x 10e9/L [mean ±SD], p<0.0001), and higher rates of EOI MRD positivity at a ≥0.01% threshold (47.9% vs 30.1%, p<0.0001), which appeared largely driven by the Ph-like HR cohort as expected (57.9% MRD+ vs 42.1% MRD- in HR CRLF2+ and 44.6% MRD+ vs 55.4% MRD- in SR CRLF2+ patients, p<0.003). Overall, CRLF2+ patients had inferior 5-year event-free survival (EFS; 63.3% ±3.1 vs 82.1% ±0.7, p<0.0001) and overall survival (OS; 79.6% ±2.6 vs 90.5% ±0.6, p<0.0001) compared to CRLF2- patients (Figure 1A-B) and a greater 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR; 30.4% ±2.7 vs 13.2% ±0.6, p<0.001). While 5-year EFS and OS were particularly poor in Ph-like CRLF2+ HR patients (56.3% ±4.6 and 75.4% ± 3.9, respectively) and non-Ph-like CRLF2+ HR patients (EFS 63.7% ±10.2 and OS 74.4% ±8.9), outcomes for Ph-like CRLF2+ SR (EFS 87.2% ±4.5 and OS 94.5% ±3.1) and non-Ph-like CRLF2+ SR patients (EFS 86.2% ±9.3 and OS 100%) were quite good (p<0.0001 for both EFS and OS; Figure 1C-D). Discussion: Patients with newly-diagnosed CRLF2+ B-ALL treated on frontline COG trials have higher rates of EOI MRD positivity, inferior survival, and increased CIR compared to their CRLF2- counterparts. EFS is especially poor in children and AYAs with NCI HR CRLF2+ ALL, particularly those with the Ph-like expression profile. Conversely, outcomes for children with NCI SR CRLF2+ ALL are reasonably favourable, irrespective of Ph-like status. Development of successful treatment strategies to decrease relapse and to improve survival remains a major therapeutic gap for NCI HR CRLF2+ ALL patients. Current clinical trials are studying the potential efficacy of kinase inhibitor addition to chemotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults with HR Ph-like ALL harboring CRLF2 rearrangements/other JAK pathway alterations or ABL class kinase fusions (NCT0240717, NCT02723994, NCT02883049, NCT03571321). Figure 1 Disclosures Tasian: Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Research Funding; Aleta Biotherapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Borowitz:Amgen: Honoraria. Mullighan:AbbVie, Inc.: Research Funding; Illumina: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Hunger:Novartis: Consultancy; Amgen: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Honoraria. Raetz:Pfizer: Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Other. Loh:Pfizer: Other: Institutional Research Funding; Medisix Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 743-743
Author(s):  
Isamu Sugiura ◽  
Noriko Doki ◽  
Tomoko Hata ◽  
Ryuko CHO ◽  
Toshiro Ito ◽  
...  

Background: The Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG) conducted the Ph+ALL202 and Ph+ALL208 studies for newly diagnosed (ND) Philadelphia-chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and successfully introduced imatinib into intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). However, 30-40% of patients could not undergo alloHCT at CR1 because of older age, early relapse, or therapy-related death. We report the outcome of the Ph+ALL213 study, which introduced dasatinib (DA) to improve the efficacy and two-step combination to minimize the toxicity of treatments prior to alloHCT. Methods: The Ph+ALL213 study was a single-arm, multicenter phase II study for ND Ph+ALL. The protocol was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of each hospital and registered in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (#UMIN000012173) and the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (#jRCTs041180136). Patients with ND BCR/ABL1-positive ALL aged 16-64 years with PS 0-3 and sufficient organ function were included. All patients provided written informed consent before enrollment. The first step of treatment was induction (IND) targeting hematological complete remission (HCR) by 28 days of 140-mg DA and 14 days of 60-mg/m2 prednisone (PSL). IND was preceded by 7 days of PSL pre-phase treatment, during which BCR/ABL1 was confirmed by multiplex RQ-PCR. The second step was intensive consolidation (IC) targeting molecular CR (MCR), which was defined as no BCR/ABL1 signal by RQ-PCR, by 28 days of 100-mg DA in combination with CALGB BFM-like intensive chemotherapy. Consolidation comprised 4 cycles alternating between two regimens: high-dose methotrexate/cytarabine followed by 21 days of 100-mg DA (C1) and a CHOP-like regimen using vincristine (VCR)/cyclophosphamide/daunorubicin followed by 21 days of 100-mg DA (C2). The maintenance regimen was 12 cycles of 24 days of 100-mg DA with VCR /PSL. Patients who achieved HCR and had an appropriate donor proceeded to alloHCT after the first C1 consolidation (C1-1). DA was started after alloHCT only when the BCR/ABL1 signal was positive by RQ-PCR just before transplantation. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS) from the induction at 3 years. Major secondary endpoints were hematological and molecular responses, adverse events (AEs), hematological relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM), and overall survival (OS) from the induction at 3 years. Results: Of the 81 patients enrolled between Feb 2014 and April 2016 from 46 hospitals, 78 were evaluable, and the median age was 45 years (range, 16-64 years). Hematological response after IND were 73 (93.6%) CR, 4 (5.1%) CRi, and 1 (1.3%) PD, and 40 (56%) patients achieved MCR after IC. Grade 4 neutropenia/ thrombocytopenia in IND, IC, and C1-1 was reported in 51.3%/ 48.7%, 93.5%/ 5.2%, and 97.2%/ 70.8%, respectively, whereas grade 4 non-hematological AEs were noted in 2.6%, 9.1%, and 8.5%, respectively. No patients died during the course of IND, IC, or C1-1. All of 4 patients who relapsed before alloHCT had T315I mutations. One pt relapsed only in the CNS. Six patients completed the planned chemotherapy, and 8 patients discontinued the planned treatment because of AEs (4), physician's decision (2), and transfer (2) to non-registered hospitals. AlloHCT at CR1 was performed for 58 patients (74.4%). Forty-one patients (70.7%) had CMR just before transplantation. MAC and RIC conditioning was intensified for 69.0% and 31.0%, respectively, and the donor type was related, unrelated, and cord blood for 29.3%, 48.3%, and 20.7%, respectively. Eleven of 13 patients who discontinued the treatment underwent alloHCT afterwards. Three patients had NRM, but 7 patients survived with CR. At the median follow-up of 48.1 months, the 3-year EFS and OS were 67.2% (95%CI, 55.4-76.5%) and 82.8% (95%CI, 72.3-89.7%), respectively (figure 1). Of the patients who transplanted at CR1, the 3-year EFS and OS were 74.1% (95%CI, 60.8-83.5%) and 86.1% (95%CI, 74.2-92.8%), respectively. Among these patients, hematological relapse, relapse mortality, and NRM were noted in 10 (17.2%), 5 (8.6%), and 6 (10.3%), respectively. Conclusions: In this study, we reduced the relapse and toxicity before alloHCT, and improved the EFS and OS at 3 years. JALSG is starting a Ph+ALL219 phase II study to introduce ponatinib for patients who did not achieve CMR after INC following the schedule in the Ph+ALL213 study. Disclosures Kako: Pfizer Japan Inc.: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria. Yokoyama:Astellas: Other: Travel expenses. Onishi:Pfizer Japan Inc.: Honoraria; MSD: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis Pharma: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.: Honoraria; Astellas Pharma Inc.: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.: Honoraria; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: Honoraria; Nippon Shinyaku: Honoraria; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: Research Funding; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: Honoraria; Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma: Honoraria; Kyowa-Hakko Kirin: Honoraria. Shiro:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria. Atsuta:CHUGAI PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.: Honoraria; Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd: Honoraria. Miyazaki:Chugai: Research Funding; Otsuka: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Nippon-Shinyaku: Honoraria; Dainippon-Sumitomo: Honoraria; Kyowa-Kirin: Honoraria.


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