Rationale and design of the German-Speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group (GMMG) trial ReLApsE: a randomized, open, multicenter phase III trial of lenalidomide/dexamethasone versus lenalidomide/dexamethasone plus subsequent autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rationale and design of the German-Speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group (GMMG) trial ReLApsE: a randomized, open, multicenter phase III trial of lenalidomide/dexamethasone versus lenalidomide/dexamethasone plus subsequent autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma

AU - Baertsch, Marc-Andrea

AU - Schlenzka, Jana

AU - Mai, Elias K

AU - Merz, Maximilian

AU - Hillengaß, Jens

AU - Raab, Marc S

AU - Hose, Dirk

AU - Wuchter, Patrick

AU - Ho, Anthony D

AU - Jauch, Anna

AU - Hielscher, Thomas

AU - Kunz, Christina

AU - Luntz, Steffen

AU - Klein, Stefan

AU - Schmidt-Wolf, Ingo G H

AU - Goerner, Martin

AU - Schmidt-Hieber, Martin

AU - Reimer, Peter

AU - Graeven, Ullrich

AU - Fenk, Roland

AU - Salwender, Hans

AU - Scheid, Christof

AU - Nogai, Axel

AU - Haenel, Mathias

AU - Lindemann, Hans W

AU - Martin, Hans

AU - Noppeney, Richard

AU - Weisel, Katja

AU - Goldschmidt, Hartmut

PY - 2016/4/25

Y1 - 2016/4/25

N2 - BACKGROUND: Despite novel therapeutic agents, most multiple myeloma (MM) patients eventually relapse. Two large phase III trials have shown significantly improved response rates (RR) of lenalidomide/dexamethasone compared with placebo/dexamethasone in relapsed MM (RMM) patients. These results have led to the approval of lenalidomide for RMM patients and lenalidomide/dexamethasone has since become a widely accepted second-line treatment. Furthermore, in RMM patients consolidation with high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation has been shown to significantly increase progression free survival (PFS) as compared to cyclophosphamide in a phase III trial. The randomized prospective ReLApsE trial is designed to evaluate PFS after lenalidomide/dexamethasone induction, high-dose chemotherapy consolidation plus autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance compared with the well-established lenalidomide/dexamethasone regimen in RMM patients.METHODS/DESIGN: ReLApsE is a randomized, open, multicenter phase III trial in a planned study population of 282 RMM patients. All patients receive three lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycles and--in absence of available stem cells from earlier harvesting--undergo peripheral blood stem cell mobilization and harvesting. Subsequently, patients in arm A continue on consecutive lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycles, patients in arm B undergo high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation followed by lenalidomide maintenance until discontinuation criteria are met. Therapeutic response is evaluated after the 3(rd) (arm A + B) and the 5(th) lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycle (arm A) or 2 months after autologous stem cell transplantation (arm B) and every 3 months thereafter (arm A + B). After finishing the study treatment, patients are followed up for survival and subsequent myeloma therapies. The expected trial duration is 6.25 years from first patient in to last patient out. The primary endpoint is PFS, secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), RR, time to best response and the influence of early versus late salvage high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation on OS.DISCUSSION: This phase III trial is designed to evaluate whether high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance after lenalidomide/dexamethasone induction improves PFS compared with the well-established continued lenalidomide/dexamethasone regimen in RMM patients.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN16345835 (date of registration 2010-08-24).

AB - BACKGROUND: Despite novel therapeutic agents, most multiple myeloma (MM) patients eventually relapse. Two large phase III trials have shown significantly improved response rates (RR) of lenalidomide/dexamethasone compared with placebo/dexamethasone in relapsed MM (RMM) patients. These results have led to the approval of lenalidomide for RMM patients and lenalidomide/dexamethasone has since become a widely accepted second-line treatment. Furthermore, in RMM patients consolidation with high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation has been shown to significantly increase progression free survival (PFS) as compared to cyclophosphamide in a phase III trial. The randomized prospective ReLApsE trial is designed to evaluate PFS after lenalidomide/dexamethasone induction, high-dose chemotherapy consolidation plus autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance compared with the well-established lenalidomide/dexamethasone regimen in RMM patients.METHODS/DESIGN: ReLApsE is a randomized, open, multicenter phase III trial in a planned study population of 282 RMM patients. All patients receive three lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycles and--in absence of available stem cells from earlier harvesting--undergo peripheral blood stem cell mobilization and harvesting. Subsequently, patients in arm A continue on consecutive lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycles, patients in arm B undergo high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation followed by lenalidomide maintenance until discontinuation criteria are met. Therapeutic response is evaluated after the 3(rd) (arm A + B) and the 5(th) lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycle (arm A) or 2 months after autologous stem cell transplantation (arm B) and every 3 months thereafter (arm A + B). After finishing the study treatment, patients are followed up for survival and subsequent myeloma therapies. The expected trial duration is 6.25 years from first patient in to last patient out. The primary endpoint is PFS, secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), RR, time to best response and the influence of early versus late salvage high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation on OS.DISCUSSION: This phase III trial is designed to evaluate whether high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance after lenalidomide/dexamethasone induction improves PFS compared with the well-established continued lenalidomide/dexamethasone regimen in RMM patients.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN16345835 (date of registration 2010-08-24).

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Dexamethasone

KW - Disease-Free Survival

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Lenalidomide

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Multiple Myeloma

KW - Neoplasm Recurrence, Local

KW - Recurrence

KW - Salvage Therapy

KW - Stem Cell Transplantation

KW - Thalidomide

KW - Transplantation, Autologous

KW - Clinical Trial, Phase III

KW - Journal Article

KW - Multicenter Study

KW - Randomized Controlled Trial

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1186/s12885-016-2321-2

DO - 10.1186/s12885-016-2321-2

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 27114074

VL - 16

SP - 290

JO - BMC CANCER

JF - BMC CANCER

SN - 1471-2407

ER -