Recruiting
Phase 1
Phase 2

Tuspetinib

Sponsor:

Aptose Biosciences Inc.

Code:

NCT03850574

Conditions

Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute

Refractory AML

Relapsed Adult AML

Myelodysplastic Syndrome With Excess Blasts-2

Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Tuspetinib

Venetoclax Oral Tablet

Azacitidine for Intravenous Infusion

Study Details

Brief summary:

The main purpose of this study is to identify a safe and potentially effective dose of tuspetinib to be used in future studies in study participants diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes with increased blasts grade 2 (MDS-IB2), or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) that is relapsed or refractory after at least one line of prior therapy, or in study participants with newly diagnosed AML. Tuspetinib will be administered as a single agent or in combination with other drugs (venetoclax or venetoclax plus azacitidine), as specified for each part of the study.

Conditions

Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute

Refractory AML

Relapsed Adult AML

Myelodysplastic Syndrome With Excess Blasts-2

Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Study ID

NCT03850574

Start date

Mar 11, 2019

Status verified date

Aug, 2025

Completion date

Apr, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Nov, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria for Parts A/B/C:

  • Study participant is defined as having morphologically documented primary or secondary AML, MDS-IB2 (≥ 10% bone marrow blasts), or CMML by the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (2016), and fulfills one of the following:

1. Refractory to at least 1 cycle of prior therapy
2. Relapsed after achieving remission with a prior therapy
  • Study participant has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2.
  • Study participant's interval from prior treatment to time of study drug administration is at least 2 weeks for cytotoxic agents (except hydroxyurea given for controlling blast cells), at 4 weeks for biologic or cellular immunotherapies, or least 5 half-lives for prior experimental agents or noncytotoxic agents, including immunosuppressive therapy post hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Upon discussion with the Medical Monitor, a shorter than stated washout period may be considered provided that the study participant has recovered from any clinically relevant safety issue and recovered to Grade ≤ 1 toxicity from prior therapies.
  • Study participant must meet the following criteria as indicated on the clinical laboratory tests.

1. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 3× institutional upper limit normal (ULN)
2. Total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5× institutional ULN
3. Creatinine clearance as calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula or measured by 24-h urine collection of > 45 mL/min.
  • Study participant is suitable for oral administration of study drug and has minimum life expectancy (≥ 3 months)
  • Female study participants must be either:
  • Of non-childbearing potential

1. Post-menopausal (defined as at least 1 year without any menses) prior to screening, or
2. Documented surgically sterile or status post hysterectomy (at least 1 month prior to screening)
  • Or, if of childbearing potential,

1. Must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test at screening (within 72 hours prior to start of treatment), and
2. Must use an acceptable highly effective method of birth control starting at screening and throughout the study period and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Female study participants must not be breastfeeding at screening and during the study period, and for 90 days after the final study drug administration
  • Female study participants must not donate ova starting at screening and throughout the study period, and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Male study participants and their female spouse/partners who are of childbearing potential must be using highly effective contraception starting at screening and continue throughout the study period and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Male study participants must not donate sperm starting at screening and throughout the study period and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Study participant agrees not to participate in another interventional study while on treatment.

Exclusion Criteria for Parts A/B/C:

Study participants must not enter the study if any of the following exclusion criteria are met:

  • Study participant was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).
  • Study participant has known BCR-ABL-positive leukemia.
  • Study participant has an active malignancy other than AML, MDS-IB2, or CMML.
  • Study participant has persistent non-hematological toxicities of ≥ Grade 2 (CTCAE v4.03), with symptoms and objective findings, from prior AML, MDS-IB2, or CMML treatment (including chemotherapy, kinase inhibitors, immunotherapy, experimental agents, radiation, or surgery)
  • Study participant has had hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and meets any of the following criteria:

1. Has undergone HSCT within the 2-month period prior to the first study dose
2. Has clinically significant graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) requiring treatment
3. Has ≥ Grade 2 persistent non-hematological toxicity related to the transplant
4. Had a donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) ≤ 30 days prior to the first study dose.
  • Study participant has meningeal or central nervous system (CNS) involvement with leukemia or other CNS disease related to underlying and secondary effects of malignancy.
  • Study participant has disseminated intravascular coagulation abnormality (DIC).
  • Study participant has had major surgery within 4 weeks prior to the first study dose.
  • Study participant has had radiation therapy within 4 weeks prior to the first study dose.
  • Study participant has congestive heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 3 or 4, or study participant with a history of congestive heart failure NYHA class 3 or 4 in the past, unless a screening echocardiogram or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan performed within 3 months prior to study entry results in a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) that is ≥ 45%.
  • Study participant has any of the following cardiac abnormalities of history:

1. Study participant has any clinically important abnormalities in rhythm, conduction or morphology of resting ECG, e.g., complete left bundle branch block, third-degree heart block, second-degree heart block, or PR interval > 250 milliseconds (ms).
2. Study participant has a mean QT interval (QTc) by Friderica's method (QTcF) > 450 ms in three successive screening measurements.
3. Study participant has any factors that increase the risk of QTc prolongation or risk of arrhythmic events, such as congenital long QT, syndrome, family history of long QT syndrome.
  • Study participant is known to have active infection including any identified active COVID-19 infection.
  • Study participant is known to have human immunodeficiency virus infection.
  • Study participant has known active hepatitis B or C, or other active hepatic disorder.
  • Study participant has any condition which, in the Investigator's opinion, makes the study participant unsuitable for study participation.
  • Study participant has a history of Grade 3 or 4 non-hematologic toxicity related to tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Inclusion Criteria for Part D:

  • Study participant is defined as having morphologically documented newly diagnosed previously untreated primary or secondary AML by the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (2016) and considered ineligible to receive intensive chemotherapy.

Study participants ≥ 75 years of age are considered ineligible to receive intensive chemotherapy if they meet any of the following criteria:

1. ECOG Performance Status of 2 or 3;
2. Cardiac history of congestive heart failure (CHF) requiring treatment or ejection fraction ≤ 50% or chronic stable angina;
3. Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) ≤ 65% or forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV1) ≤ 65%;
4. Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min to < 45 ml/min;
5. Moderate hepatic impairment with total bilirubin > 1.5 to ≤ 3.0×ULN;
6. Any other comorbidity that the Investigator judges to be incompatible with intensive chemotherapy must be reviewed and approved by the Medical Monitor during screening and prior to treatment.

Study participants are considered ineligible to receive intensive chemotherapy based on their age being ≥ 75 years.

  • Study participant < 75 years has an ECOG performance status ≤ 2; study participant ≥ 75 years has an ECOG performance status 0-2.
  • Study participant must meet the following criteria as indicated on the clinical laboratory tests:

1. Serum AST and ALT ≤ 3× institutional ULN unless considered due to leukemic organ involvement.
2. Total serum bilirubin ≤ 3x institutional ULN unless considered due to leukemic organ involvement for study participants < 75 years; total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5x institutional ULN (or ≤ 3x institutional ULN if documented history of Gilbert's syndrome) unless considered due to leukemic organ involvement for study participants ≥ 75 years.
3. Creatinine clearance as calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula or measured by 24-h urine collection of ≥ 30 mL/min for study participants < 75 years; creatinine clearance as calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula or measured by 24-h urine collection of ≥ 45 mL/min for study participants ≥ 75 years.
  • Study participant is suitable for oral administration of study drug and has minimum life expectancy (≥ 3 months)
  • Female study participants must be either:
  • Of non-childbearing potential

1. Post-menopausal (defined as at least 1 year without any menses) prior to screening, or
2. Documented surgically sterile or status post hysterectomy (at least 1 month prior to screening)
  • Or, if of childbearing potential,

1. Must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test at screening (within 72 hours prior to start of treatment), and
2. Must use an acceptable highly effective contraception starting at screening and throughout the study period and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Female study participants must not be breastfeeding at screening and during the study period, and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Female study participants must not donate ova starting at screening and throughout the study period, and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Male study participants and their female spouse/partners who are of childbearing potential must be using highly effective contraception starting at screening and continue throughout the study period and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Male study participants must not donate sperm starting at screening and throughout the study period and for 90 days after the final study drug administration.
  • Study participant agrees not to participate in another interventional study while on treatment.

Exclusion Criteria for Part D:

Study participants must not enter the study if any of the following exclusion criteria are met:

  • Study participant was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).
  • Study participant has known BCR-ABL-positive leukemia.
  • Study participant has an active malignancy other than AML.
  • Study participant has received treatment with the following:

1. An HMA, VEN (or other BCL-2 inhibitor), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), a FLT3 inhibitor (FLT3i), a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), and/or a chemotherapeutic agent for antecedent myeloid neoplasm (Note: Prior chemotherapy for solid tumors considered in remission is allowed.)
2. CAR-T cell therapy
3. Experimental therapies for antecedent myeloid neoplasms
4. Current participation in another research or observational study
  • Study participant has persistent non-hematological toxicities of ≥ Grade 2 (CTCAE v4.03), with symptoms and objective findings, from treatment for antecedent myeloid neoplasms (including chemotherapy, kinase inhibitors, immunotherapy, experimental agents, immunosuppressive therapy, radiation, or surgery).
  • Study participant has meningeal or central nervous system (CNS) involvement with leukemia or other CNS disease related to underlying and secondary effects of malignancy.
  • Study participant has disseminated intravascular coagulation abnormality (DIC).
  • Study participant has had major surgery within 4 weeks prior to the first study dose.
  • Study participant has had radiation therapy within 4 weeks prior to the first study dose.
  • Study participant has congestive heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 3 or 4, or study participant with a history of congestive heart failure NYHA class 3 or 4 in the past, unless a screening echocardiogram or multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan performed within 3 months prior to study entry results in a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) that is ≥ 45%.
  • Study participant has any of the following cardiac abnormalities of history:

1. Study participant has any clinically important abnormalities in rhythm, conduction or morphology of resting ECG, e.g., complete left bundle branch block, third-degree heart block, second-degree heart block, or PR interval > 250 milliseconds (ms).
2. Study participant has a mean QT interval (QTc) by Friderica's method (QTcF) > 450 ms in three successive screening measurements.
3. Study participant has any factors that increase the risk of QTc prolongation or risk of arrhythmic events, such as congenital long QT, syndrome, family history of long QT syndrome.
  • Study participant is known to have active infection, including any identified active COVID-19 infection.
  • Study participant is known to have human immunodeficiency virus infection.
  • Study participant has known active hepatitis B or C, or other active hepatic disorder.
  • Study participant has any condition which, in the Investigator's opinion, makes the study participant unsuitable for study participation, including a chronic respiratory disease that requires continuous oxygen, or a significant history of renal, neurologic, psychiatric, endocrinologic, metabolic, immunologic, hepatic, or cardiovascular disease, or any other medical condition or known hypersensitivity to any of the study medications including excipients of VEN and AZA that in the opinion of the Investigator would adversely affect participating in this study.
  • Study participant exhibits evidence of other clinically significant uncontrolled systemic infection requiring therapy (viral, bacterial, or fungal) or other medical conditions (e.g., infection, heart failure, COPD flare, etc.).
  • Study participant has a white blood cell count > 25 × 10\^9/L. (Treatment with hydroxyurea or use of leukapheresis are permitted to meet this criterion.)

Study Design

Enrollment

240 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Sequential

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Part A Dose Escalation [COMPLETED]

Part A dose escalation of tuspetinib as a single agent is planned for up to 6 dose levels. If a study participant in dose escalation at any dose level achieves clinical response, then the dose level will continue to enroll in Part B. If one DLT or less is observed in the 6 participants (<1/6 DLT observed) in Part A, up to 20 evaluable participants can be enrolled in Part B at that dose level.

experimental: Part B Dose Exploration [ACTIVE, NOT RECRUITING]

Part B dose exploration of tuspetinib as a single agent is planned for up to 4 dose levels.

experimental: Part C Dose Expansion (tuspetinib as a single agent) [COMPLETE]

Part C dose expansion of tuspetinib as a single agent is planned for 2 dose levels. Study participants will be randomly assigned to either arm based on the number of slots available. The initial tuspetinib dose will be 120 mg.

experimental: Part C Dose Expansion (tuspetinib plus venetoclax) [COMPLETE]

Part C dose expansion of tuspetinib in combination with venetoclax is planned for 2 dose levels. The initial tuspetinib dose will be 80 mg.

experimental: Part D Dose Exploration (tuspetinib plus venetoclax and azacitidine) [ACTIVE, RECRUITING - US Sites]

Part D dose exploration of tuspetinib in combination with venetoclax and azacitidine is planned for up to 6 dose levels. The initial tuspetinib dose will be 40 mg.

Interventions

Tuspetinib

Daily (QD), continuous dosing

Venetoclax Oral Tablet

Venetoclax will be given to study participants in the Part C tuspetinib plus venetoclax combination treatment group either in 50 mg or 100 mg tablets

Azacitidine for Intravenous Infusion

Azacitidine will be given to study participants in Part D as intravenous infusion at a dose of 75 mg/m\^2

Primary outcome measure

  • Frequency and severity of drug-related adverse events [ Time Frame: 4 years ]
  • Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of tuspetinib [ Time Frame: 4 years ]
  • Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Minimum plasma concentration (Cmin) [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Time to maximum concentration (Tmax) [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Terminal half-life (t1/2) [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Volume of distribution [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Plasma clearance (CL) [ Time Frame: Cycle 1 (at least 28 days) ]
  • Recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of tuspetinib [ Time Frame: 4 years ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Rafael Bejar, MD, PhD

858-401-6852rbejar@aptose.com

Locations

The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital

Recruiting

Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233

Contacts

Pankit Vachhani, MD

jsregister@uabmc.edu

University of California Irvine

Recruiting

Irvine, California, United States, 92697

Contacts

Deepa Jeyakumar, MD

djeyakum@hs.uci.edu

Principal Investigator:

Deepa Jeyakumar, MD

USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Recruiting

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Eric Tam, MD

Stanford Cancer Center

Recruiting

Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304

Contacts

Gabriel Mannis, MD

gmannis@stanford.edu

Principal Investigator:

Gabriel Mannis, MD

University of California, Davis

Recruiting

Sacramento, California, United States, 95817

Contacts

Yale University

Recruiting

New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06520

Contacts

Nikolai Podoltsev, MD

nikolai.podoltsev@yale.edu

Principal Investigator:

Nikolai Podoltsev, MD, PhD

University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine

Recruiting

Miami, Florida, United States, 33136

Contacts

Justin Watts, MD

jxw401@miami.edu

Duke University Medical Center

Recruiting

Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705

Contacts

Harry Erba, MD

harry.erba@duke.edu

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Recruiting

Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210

Contacts

Uma Borate, MD

uma.borate@osumc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Uma Borate, MD

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Recruiting

Huston, Texas, United States, 77030

Contacts

More Information

Sponsor

Aptose Biosciences Inc.

Last update posted

Aug 26, 2025

Last verified

Aug, 2025

Keywords

  • Tuspetinib
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia
  • AML
  • Relapsed
  • Refractory
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes with Increased Blasts Grade 2
  • MDS-IB2
  • Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
  • CMML
  • Venetoclax
  • Azacitidine
  • Newly Diagnosed

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Aptose Biosciences Inc. on 2025-08-26.