Clofarabine for Relapsed or Refractory T-Cell or B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)

The safety profile of clofarabine appears acceptable within the target populations studied to date in the clinical studies, with numerous responses observed in heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed/refractory ALL or AML. Dose escalation of clofarabine in patients with solid tumors and lymphoproliferative disorders has been limited because grade 3 and 4 myelosuppression was considered acceptable in patients with acute leukemia, provided that hematologic recovery occurred within 6 weeks of therapy , and dose escalation has proceeded as high as 40 mg/m2 in this patient population. Furthermore, no responses were observed in a recent trial in which patients with relapsed CLL were treated with clofarabine 2 mg/m2, an indolent B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder indicating that low doses are likely to be ineffective in patients with aggressive NHL. (Personal Communication with ILEX Products, INC.) This Phase I/II study will evaluate escalating doses of clofarabine in patients with relapsed and refractory diffuse large cell B-cell NHL starting at a dose of 4 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days and repeated every 28 days for a maximum of 6 cycles. This dosing regimen should be evaluated in this patient population because there is no standard therapy at relapse and grade 3 and 4 myelosuppression is frequently observed with traditional NHL salvage. Additionally, patients will receive granulocyte colony stimulating factors at the discretion of the investigator. Antifungal and antibacterial prophylaxis will be administered to minimize the risk of infection.