Trials / Not Yet Recruiting

Not Yet RecruitingNCT07225439

Rituximab (Rtx) + Tafasitamab in Combination With Allogeneic NK Cells for Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory (r/r) B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)

Phase I Clinical Trial of Rituximab (Rtx) and Tafasitamab in Combination With Allogeneic NK Cells for Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory (r/r) B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Status: Not Yet Recruiting
Phase: Phase 1
Study type: Interventional
Enrollment: 15 (estimated)

Sponsor: Paolo Caimi, MD · Academic / Other
Sex: All
Age: 18 Years
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This research study is for people who have relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that has not responded to two or more lines of therapy. The purpose of this study is to identify the recommended dose of allogeneic NK cells in combination with IL-2, Tafasitamab and Rituximab for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. NK cells are an investigational (experimental) treatment which means they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). NK cells are a type of lymphocyte that's part of the body's natural immune system, and they can kill cancer cells by creating pores in the cancer cell membranes and inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death). Participants in this study will receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy, as well as Allogeneic NK cells, Tafasitamab and Interleukin-2 (IL-2) by an intravenous (IV) infusion. Participants are expected to complete one cycle, and they may be eligible to complete a second cycle of the same regiment if they have stable disease, partial or complete remission at the end of the first cycle. Participants will be in this study for about 12 months.

Detailed description

More than 80,000 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are diagnosed each year in the United States (US), with nearly 20,000 people dying from this group of diseases annually. There are several subgroups of NHL, with the B cell lymphomas being much more common than T-cell lymphomas. B cell lymphomas include multiple different diseases, including some that are more aggressive (like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and others), as well as those with a slower progression (i.e. indolent lymphomas like follicular lymphoma (FL)). Over the past 20 years, there have been advances in the treatment of most NHL subtypes. However, disease recurrence continues to be frequent and happens in more than a third of people with DLBCL and in most people with indolent lymphomas. A treatment called anti CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR T-cell) have helped to treat relapsed and primary refractory lymphomas. However, CAR-T cells therapies are limited by the cost and logistics of manufacture. Additionally, relapses are common (40-60%) in people treated with CAR-T cells, and people who experience these relapses have poor survival outcomes. While CAR-T cells still receive a lot of attention, there is a growing interest in using other strategies including NK cells combined with monoclonal antibodies or molecules developed to activate NK cells against tumors. NK cells are lymphocytes, a type of immune cell, that can naturally fight cancer cells. They are important in fighting cancer and can do so without needing to recognize specific cell markers. Allogeneic, non-HLA-matched NK cells have been found to be safe and not associated with the development of graft-versus-host disease. It is still important to improve the manufacture, application, and efficacy of NK cell therapy. Breakthroughs in ex vivo NK cell expansion have allowed for large doses to be made, which may address some of these limitations. This study uses a "universal donor" of ex vivo expanded NK cell product that is made at a lab at Case Western Reserve University. These NK cells are "experimental," meaning that they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Participants in this study will receive these NK cells in addition to other standard cancer treatments for NHL.

Conditions

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Allogeneic NK cells	Allogeneic NK cells are given intravenously (IV) weekly for 3 weeks on Days 0, 7, 14. Dose escalation will be conducted using a Bayesian optimal interval (BOIN) design starting at dose level 1 (500 x 106 cells) and proceeding to dose level 2 (1,000 x 106 cells) if criteria are met.
DRUG	Rituximab	Rtx is dosed at 375mg/m2 and give once (on Day -5 for Cycle 1 and Day 0 for Cycle 2, if applicable).
DRUG	Tafasitamab	Tafasitamab is dosed at 12 mg/kg and given intravenously (IV) weekly for 3 weeks on Days 0,7,14).
DRUG	Interleukin-2	Interleukin-2 is dosed at 5 million IU and given weekly for 3 weeks on Days 0,7,14.
DRUG	Fludarabine/cyclophosphamide	Fludarabine is dosed at 30 mg/m2/d with dose adjustment for renal function, and cyclophosphamide is dosed at 500 mg/m2/d. These are given on 3 days (Days -5 to -3).

Timeline

Start date: 2025-12-01
Primary completion: 2027-12-01
Completion: 2027-12-01
First posted: 2025-11-06
Last updated: 2025-11-06

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

FDA-regulated drug study

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT07225439. Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement.