Testing the Use of Steroids and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors With Blinatumomab or Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed BCR-ABL-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To compare the overall survival (OS) following induction with steroids + TKI + blinatumomab versus induction with steroids + TKI + chemotherapy. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare the rate of minimal residual disease (MRD) negative complete remission (CR) for patients treated with chemotherapy versus (vs) blinatumomab at the end of first induction (week 15). II. To evaluate the rate of the MRD negative CR by treatment arm for those patients MRD positive after the first induction and administered of second induction. III. To compare event free survival (EFS) for patients initially randomized for chemotherapy vs blinatumomab. IV. To assess the toxicities of blinatumomab + TKI vs. TKI + chemotherapy in this patient population. V. To assess the toxicities of the chemotherapy regimen in this patient population. VI. To describe the outcome of patients who proceed to allogeneic stem cell transplant after treatment with blinatumomab + TKI only. OUTLINE: ARM A (PRE-INDUCTION): Patients receive prednisone orally (PO) once daily (QD) on days 1-21 and ponatinib hydrochloride (ponatinib) PO QD or dasatinib PO QD on days 1-21 based on investigator's choice. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms (Arm B or C). Patients undergo bone marrow aspiration with biopsy, lumbar punctures, echocardiogram (ECHO), and multigated acquisition (MUGA) scans as indicated by investigator. ARM B (INDUCTION THERAPY): CYCLE 1: Patients receive cyclophosphamide intravenously (IV) twice daily (BID) on days 1-3, dexamethasone PO or IV on days 1-4 and 11-14, cytarabine intrathecally (IT) on day 1, doxorubicin hydrochloride (doxorubicin) IV on day 4, vincristine sulfate (vincristine) IV on days 4 and 11, and methotrexate IT on day 8. Patients also receive Mesna 600mg/m\^2 IV as a 'chemoprotectant' via continuous infusion on days 1-3, (beginning 1 hour prior to cyclophosphamide and completed by 12 hours after the last dose of cyclophosphamide). CYCLE 2 (AGE 18-70): Starting in cycle 2, fit patients aged 18-70 receive dasatinib 70mg/day PO QD or ponatinib 30mg/day PO QD on days 1-21, methotrexate IV over 24 hours and IT on day 1, and cytarabine IV over 2 hours BID on days 2-3 of each cycle. On day 22 of cycle 2 or later, as soon as the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is greater than 1000 cells/ul and platelets are greater than 50,000 cells/ul, patients receive hyper cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (CVAD) for 2 additional cycles. CYCLE 2 (AGE \> 70 or unfit \< 70): Starting in cycle 2, patients age \> 70 or younger unfit patients for Hyper-CVAD receive ponatinib PO QD or dasatinib PO QD on days 1-21 of each cycle. Patients also receive methotrexate IV over 24 hours and IT on day 1, and cytarabine IV over 2 hours BID on days 2-3 of each cycle. Cycle 1 and 2 regimens are each repeated once starting on day 22 of cycle 2, or later, but as soon as the ANC is greater than 1000 cells/ul and platelets are greater than 50,000 cells/ul. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 4 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who achieve remission (significant reduction in the amount of leukemia in bone marrow and blood/MRD negative) after 4 cycles may receive alternative treatment, either consolidation with two cycles of Hyper-CVAD followed by TKI maintenance therapy or undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation followed by maintenance therapy. Patients who do not achieve a remission (MRD positive) are assigned to Arm D. Patients who experience un-resolving renal failure or life-threatening infection which may require a treatment delay of 21 days cross-over to Arm C to receive the prescribed course of blinatumomab. ARM C (INDUCTION THERAPY): CYCLE 1: Patients receive ponatinib PO QD or dasatinib PO QD on days 1-28. Patients also receive dexamethasone PO or IV on day 1 and blinatumomab IV continuously on days 1-28, followed by methotrexate IT on day 29 or 30. CYCLE 2: Patients receive ponatinib PO QD or dasatinib PO QD on days 1-28. Patients also receive dexamethasone PO or IV on day 1 and blinatumomab IV continuously on days 1-28, followed by methotrexate IT on day 29 or 30. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 2 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM D (RE-INDUCTION): Patients treated on Arm B who remain MRD positive at the end of induction therapy receive blinatumomab based re-induction identical to the regimen described for Arm C. ARM E (RE-INDUCTION): Patients treated on Arm C who remain MRD positive at the end of induction therapy receive chemotherapy based re-induction which is identical to regimen described for Arm B according to patient's age and the pre-specified chemotherapy arm. Patients whose molecular test remains MRD positive after re-induction proceed to follow-up at the discretion of the investigator or receive anti CD-19 CAR- T cell therapy, inotuzumab ozogamicin, intensive chemotherapy, or palliative care. Patients are followed up every 3 months for first 2 years (from study registration), every 6 months for years 3-5, and then every 12 months for years 6-10.