Deferasirox, Cholecalciferol, and Azacitidine in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed AML Patients Over 65

A Phase II Study Examining the Use of Deferasirox, Cholecalciferol, and Azacitidine in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in Elderly Patients

The purpose of this study is to find out if by giving a combination of 3 drugs the leukemia will go into complete remission (meaning the leukemia is completely gone), and to find out how long it stays away. The drugs used in this project are FDA approved and commercially available.

The majority of new cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are diagnosed in patients older than 65 years of age. The median age of patients at time of diagnosis is 67 years. Standard therapies for AML often have significant toxicity and are poorly tolerated by this patient population. Treatment strategies for elderly patients with AML are limited. In those patients who do achieve complete remission, duration of remission tends to be short. Treatment at time of relapse is exceedingly difficult and outcomes are dismal. Thus, there is need for safer and more effective therapies for elderly patients with AML. This trial is a novel therapeutic combination of deferasirox (Exjade), cholecalciferol, and azacitidine in patients 65 years or older with newly diagnosed AML who are not fit for standard induction chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 65 or older (must have reached 65th birthday)
• Morphologically confirmed diagnosis of AML, excluding AML-M3
• Must have a Zubrod performance status of 0-3

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with known HIV infection are excluded. If HIV infection is suspected based on clinical condition, testing may be performed at the discretion of treatment team, but is not mandated prior to enrollment.
• Patients with central nervous system involvement by AML are excluded
• Patients with history of an active cancer (except basal cell and squamous cell cancers of the skin) within the previous 2 years are excluded