Overview
This study aims to evaluate the optimal dose (Recommended Phase 2 Dose, RP2D), preliminary safety, and efficacy of gecacitinib (also known as jaktinib) in combination with glucocorticoids as first-line therapy for patients with grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
Description
This study is a single-center, single-arm, prospective interventional trial utilizing a 3+3 dose escalation design to evaluate the safety and efficacy of first-line gecacitinib (also known as jaktinib) in combination with glucocorticoids for the treatment of grades II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
A total of 35 patients will be enrolled across both the dose exploration phase (using the 3+3 design to determine the Recommended Phase 2 Dose \[RP2D\]) and the efficacy evaluation phase (where additional patients are treated at the RP2D to further assess efficacy and safety).
The primary objectives include:
- Determining the RP2D of gecacitinib (also known as jaktinib) in combination with glucocorticoids.
- Assessing the safety profile (e.g., incidence and severity of adverse events).
- Evaluating efficacy (e.g., overall response rate at Day 28). Secondary endpoints may include duration of response, survival outcomes, and biomarker analyses.
This design is appropriate for early-phase trials seeking to establish dosing and preliminary activity of a novel combination therapy in a high-risk population.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Voluntarily provide signed informed consent and be ≥18 years of age at the time of consent.
- Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) using bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells, or umbilical cord blood.
- Have received systemic glucocorticoid therapy for no more than 2 days prior to enrollment.
- Demonstrate clear myeloid and platelet engraftment: absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \> 1.0 × 10⁹/L and platelet count \> 50 × 10⁹/L (permitted use of growth factors or transfusion support).
- Clinical diagnosis of grade II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) per the MAGIC (Mount Sinai Acute GVHD International Consortium) criteria (Appendix 1).
- ECOG performance status of 0-2.
- Life expectancy \> 4 weeks.
- Able to swallow tablets.
- Willing and able to comply with study procedures and follow-up.
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of ≥2 allo-HSCT procedures.
- Development of aGVHD following unplanned donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for relapse of underlying malignancy. Note: Planned DLI as part of the transplant protocol is permitted.
- Concurrent treatment with another JAK inhibitor. Note: Patients who previously discontinued JAK inhibitors due to toxicity (not refractory aGVHD) are eligible.
- Active bleeding.
- Diagnosed or suspected chronic GVHD.
- Uncontrolled active infection, defined as sepsis-induced hemodynamic instability or progressive symptoms/signs/imaging findings attributable to infection. Asymptomatic or persistent fever alone is not exclusionary.
- unresolved toxicity or complications from allo-HSCT (excluding aGVHD).
- Clinically significant abnormalities that may compromise safety, including: a) Uncontrolled diabetes (fasting glucose \>13.9 mmol/L); b) Hypertension unresponsive to ≥2 agents (systolic BP ≥160 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥100 mmHg); c) Peripheral neuropathy ≥Grade 2 (per NCI CTCAE v5.0).
- Within 6 months prior to screening: NYHA Class III/IV heart failure, unstable angina, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, or pulmonary embolism.
- Arrhythmia requiring treatment or QTcB interval \>480 ms at screening.
- Severe renal impairment (serum creatinine \>1.5 × ULN) at screening.
- Pre-transplant history of gastrointestinal ulcers, gastrectomy, or intestinal resection that may impair drug absorption.
- Major surgery within 4 weeks prior to screening without full recovery.
- Cholestatic disorders or hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS/VOD) at screening (defined as persistent hyperbilirubinemia and organ dysfunction unrelated to GVHD).
- Active uncontrolled viral infections at screening: HBV: HBsAg⁺ with detectable HBV-DNA, or detectable HBV-DNA regardless of HBsAg status; HCV: Anti-HCV antibody⁺ with detectable HCV-RNA.
- History of active tuberculosis within 6 months prior to screening.
- Epilepsy or current use of psychotropic/sedative medications.
- Pregnancy, lactation, or intention to conceive; male patients unwilling to use condoms during treatment and for 2 days after the last dose.
- Other active malignancies (excluding the transplanted hematologic malignancy) within 5 years.
- Current use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents (except low molecular weight heparin).
- Any condition that, in the investigator's judgment, may compromise patient safety or protocol compliance.
- Known hypersensitivity to jaktinib, its analogs, or excipients.
- Participation in another interventional clinical trial within 4 weeks prior to screening.
- Investigator determination of unsuitability for the study.