Myelodysplastic Syndrome study: Elritercept vs Epoetin Alfa
Official title A Study to Compare Elritercept With Epoetin Alfa to Treat Anemia in Adults With Lower Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (LR-MDS) Who Need Regular Blood Transfusions
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07422480
What this study is testing
What is Elritercept?
An investigational once‑daily subcutaneous injection being studied for myelodysplastic syndrome.
Also referred to as TAK-226.
Plain-language explanation of the investigational treatment. It is being studied and is not an approved or proven therapy. The study team can confirm the details.
- What it's testing
- The study compares how well elritercept lowers the need for red‑blood‑cell transfusions and how safe it is compared with epoetin alfa. It also looks at whether elritercept reduces fatigue, improves quality of life, and triggers immune reactions.
- Who it's for
- Adults with very low, low, or intermediate‑risk myelodysplastic syndrome who regularly need blood transfusions.
- What's involved
- Participants receive either elritercept or epoetin alfa and have regular clinic visits for blood tests, symptom questionnaires, and safety monitoring.
- Time commitment
- The trial lasts about 12 months, with scheduled visits every few weeks for treatment, blood work, and health assessments.
- Phase 3: a large, late-stage study
A plain-language read of the study's public ClinicalTrials.gov listing. The study team confirms the details.
Who can take part
Ages 18 and older
You may be able to join if
- Male or female participants aged ≥ 18 years or older at time of signing the informed consent form (ICF).
- Able to understand the purpose and risks of the trial and voluntarily sign an ICF prior to any trial-related procedures being conducted and...
- Documented diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome(s) (MDS) according to WHO 2016 classification that meets International Prognostic Scoring System -...
- Bone marrow less than (\<) 5% blasts in an evaluable bone marrow collected at screening and confirmed by central pathology independent reviewer.
- Endogenous serum erythropoietin (EPO) level of \ 14 days following an RBC transfusion to evaluate for eligibility unless considered pretransfusion...
You likely can't join if
- Epoetin alfa
- At the investigator's discretion in consultation with the medical monitor, may be allowed if received no more than 2 doses of only epoetin alfa ≥8...
- Darbepoetin
- At the investigator's discretion in consultation with the medical monitor, may be allowed if received no more than 1 dose of only darbepoetin ≥8...
- Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor administered ≤8 weeks (56 days) prior to randomization...
- Immunomodulatory drug (IMiDs) including lenalidomide
See the full eligibility criteria
Who can join
- Male or female participants aged ≥ 18 years or older at time of signing the informed consent form (ICF).
- Able to understand the purpose and risks of the trial and voluntarily sign an ICF prior to any trial-related procedures being conducted and authorization to use protected health information and personal data in...
- Documented diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome(s) (MDS) according to WHO 2016 classification that meets International Prognostic Scoring System - Revised (IPSS-R) classification of very low-, low-, or...
- Bone marrow less than (\<) 5% blasts in an evaluable bone marrow collected at screening and confirmed by central pathology independent reviewer.
- Endogenous serum erythropoietin (EPO) level of \ 14 days following an RBC transfusion to evaluate for eligibility unless considered pretransfusion values.
- Participant requires RBC transfusion, as documented by the following criteria. A transfusion requirement of 2 to 6 pRBCs units/8 weeks confirmed for a minimum of 8 weeks immediately preceding randomization.
- Hgb levels at the time of or within 3 days prior to administration of a RBC transfusion must have been less than or equal to (≤) 9.0 grams per deciliter (g/dL) (5.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)) with symptoms of anemia...
- RBC transfusions administered when hemoglobin (Hgb) levels were \>9.0 g/dL (or \>7 g/dL in the absence of symptoms) and/or RBC transfusions administered for elective surgery, infections or bleeding events will not...
- Hgb \<11.0 g/dL (6.8 mmol/L) before randomization. Local laboratory is acceptable to facilitate randomization.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 0, 1, or 2.
What rules you out
- Epoetin alfa
- At the investigator's discretion in consultation with the medical monitor, may be allowed if received no more than 2 doses of only epoetin alfa ≥8 weeks prior to randomization.
- Darbepoetin
- At the investigator's discretion in consultation with the medical monitor, may be allowed if received no more than 1 dose of only darbepoetin ≥8 weeks prior to randomization.
- Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor administered ≤8 weeks (56 days) prior to randomization unless given for treatment of febrile neutropenia.
- Immunomodulatory drug (IMiDs) including lenalidomide
- At the investigator's discretion in consultation with the medical monitor may be allowed if received ≤1 week of an IMiD ≥8 weeks prior to randomization.
- Hypomethylating agent
- At the investigator's discretion, in consultation with the medical monitor may be allowed if received no more than 2 doses ≥8 weeks prior to randomization.
- Luspatercept, sotatercept, imetelstat, or elritercept
- Immunosuppressive therapy for the disease under study.
- Hematopoeitic cell transplant
- Iron chelation if initiated ≤8 weeks prior to randomization. Participants on stable or decreasing doses of iron chelation therapy for ≥8 weeks are allowed.
- Vitamin B12 or folate therapy initiated within 4 weeks prior to randomization. Participants on stable or decreasing replacement doses for ≥4 weeks and without ongoing concurrent vitamin B12 or folate deficiency are...
- Androgen use within 8 weeks before randomization. Participants on stable androgen dosing for hypogonadism for ≥8 weeks are allowed
- High-dose systemic corticosteroid use within 4 weeks before randomization. Participants on stable chronic steroid doses of prednisone ≤10 millligrams per day (mg/day) or corticosteroid equivalent for ≥4 weeks are...
- Investigational agent or any other agent intended for MDS treatment
- Diagnosed to have MDS with presence of del(5q) cytogenetic abnormality or MDS unclassifiable according to WHO 2016 classification or secondary MDS.
- Known history of diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
- Anemia due to any other known cause including but not limited to thalassemia; hypothyroidism, autoimmune or hereditary hemolytic anemia, any type of known clinically significant bleeding or sequestration or drug induced...
- New York Heart Association heart disease class III or IV
- Fridericia corrected QT (QTcF) interval \>500 milliseconds during screening
- Uncontrolled arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, or unstable angina within 6 months before screening
- Known ejection fraction \<35%, confirmed by a local echocardiogram performed during screening, or a previously performed echocardiogram if collected within 6 months before screening.
- Medical history of thromboembolic events within 6 months before screening, including history of cerebrovascular accident (including ischemic, embolic, and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident), transient ischemic...
- Uncontrolled hypertension, defined as repeated elevations of systolic blood pressure of ≥160 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥100 mmHg despite adequate treatment.
- Basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin;
- Carcinoma in situ of the cervix;
- Carcinoma in situ of the breast;
- Incidental histologic finding of prostate cancer (T1a or T1b using the tumor, node, metastasis [TNM] or early papillary thyroid cancer (Stage I [T1-T2, N0, M0]) clinical staging system).
- History of solid organ or bone marrow transplantation.
- Active infection requiring intravenous antibiotics within 28 days or oral antibiotics within 14 days before randomization.
- Known positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), active infectious hepatitis B virus (HBV), or active infectious hepatitis C virus (HCV).
- Body mass index ≥ 40 kilograms per square meter (kg/m\^2).
- Major surgery within 28 days before randomization.
- New-onset seizures or poorly controlled seizures within 12 weeks prior to randomization are excluded from trial participation.
- History of allergy/anaphylaxis to investigational product (including epoetin alfa) excipients (refer to the current elritercept investigator's brochure for a list of excipients) or recombination proteins.
- History of pure red cell aplasia and/or antibody against erythropoietin (EPO).
- ANC \<500/microliter (μL) (0.5×10\^9/liter [L]).
- Platelet count \<50,000/μL (50×10\^9/L) or ≥800,000/μL (800×10\^9/L).
- Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥3× upper limit of the normal (ULN).
- Total bilirubin ≥2×ULN. Participants with known history of Gilbert syndrome with unconjugated bilirubin \<3×ULN are allowed.
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate \<30 milliliters per minute per 1.73 square meters (mL/min/1.73 m\^2) as determined by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology (CKD-EPI) collaboration equation.
- Ferritin ≤50 micrograms per liter (μg/L).
- Folate ≤2.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
- Vitamin B12 ≤200 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).
- Ongoing participation in another treatment clinical trial or use of any other investigational medicinal product within 5 times the half-life.
- Participant is unwilling or in the opinion of the investigator the participant is unable to comply with the requirements of the protocol.
- Is a participant of childbearing potential (POCBP) but does not agree to use at least 1 form of highly effective contraception from the time of signing the ICF until at least 60 days after the last dose of trial...
- Participants of male birth who are fertile and who have partners of childbearing potential, who do not agree to use acceptable barrier contraception, that is, a male condom during the entire trial intervention period...
- If applicable, participant with a positive serum pregnancy test during the screening period or known to be pregnant or a lactating participant who does not agree to forego breastfeeding during the entire trial...
- For Participants in France: Persons under court protection, persons not affiliated with a social security system, and protected adults.
The study team makes the final eligibility decision.
Where it is enrolling
- Tamarac, Florida, United States
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Skokie, Illinois, United States
- Louisville, Kentucky, United States
- Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- The Bronx, New York, United States
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Baytown, Texas, United States
- Denton, Texas, United States
- Fort Worth, Texas, United States
- Houston, Texas, United States
- The Woodlands, Texas, United States
- Wheeling, West Virginia, United States
- Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Córdoba, Argentina
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Yvoir, Namur, Belgium
+ 75 more site(s).
Questions & answers
Do participants get paid in this trial?
This listing doesn't specify compensation. Many trials still reimburse travel or offer a stipend, so it's worth asking the study team when you connect.
Is it free to join, and do I need insurance?
Searching and applying through BridgeMD is free. In clinical trials the study-related treatment and visits are generally provided at no cost to you. You usually don't need insurance to take part, but confirm specifics with the study team.
How long does this study last?
The listing doesn't state an exact length. The study team walks you through the schedule and number of visits before you decide to enroll.
Who can join this trial?
This study is enrolling all sexes, 18 years and older. The study team makes the final eligibility decision.
Where is this trial taking place?
This study is enrolling now at Tamarac, Florida, United States; Atlanta, Georgia, United States; Skokie, Illinois, United States; Louisville, Kentucky, United States; Kansas City, Missouri, United States; The Bronx, New York, United States and 89 more locations. Enter your location above to see the nearest enrolling site and check your eligibility.
Explore other conditions
BridgeMD is an information and trial-matching tool that is independent of the study sponsor. Details come from ClinicalTrials.gov. The study team decides eligibility, and your own doctor gives medical advice.