A Multi-Center, Phase I, Open Label, Two Arm, Non-Randomized, Dose-Escalation, Study Of The Safety And Tolerability Of CPG 7909 In Patients Receiving Rituxan For Relapsed Or Refractory B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Inclusion Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
- Histologically confirmed CD20+ B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
- CD20 positive by immunohistochemistry or flow cytometry
- Relapsed or refractory disease
- Bidimensionally measurable disease
- Sole site of measurable disease within a previously irradiated field allowed
provided there was disease progression at that site
- No pre-existing ascites or pleural effusions
- No known CNS involvement by NHL
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age:
- 18 and over
Performance status:
- ECOG 0-2
Life expectancy:
- More than 3 months
Hematopoietic:
- Neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
- Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3
Hepatic:
- Bilirubin less than 2 mg/dL
- Transaminase less than 2 times upper limit of normal
- No hepatitis B or C
Renal:
- Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL
Cardiovascular:
- No significant cardiovascular disease
- No New York Heart Association class III congestive heart failure
- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
- No unstable angina
- No uncontrolled atrial or ventricular cardiac arrhythmias
Pulmonary:
- No concurrent significant pulmonary disease
Other:
- HIV negative
- No acute infection requiring antibiotics
- No fever over 38.2 degrees C within the past 3 days
- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or noninvasive squamous
cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
- No pre-existing autoimmune disease or antibody-mediated disease, including:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Sjogren's syndrome
- Autoimmune thrombocytopenia
- Controlled thyroid disease allowed
- Concurrent autoantibodies without clinical autoimmune disease allowed
- No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar composition to
study drugs
- No other medical history, including laboratory results, that would preclude study
- No suspected or confirmed poor compliance or mental instability that would preclude
study
- Not pregnant or nursing
- Negative pregnancy test
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy:
- No prior allogeneic transplantation
- More than 30 days since prior hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim (G-CSF)
or epoetin alfa)
- More than 30 days since prior immunotherapy
- More than 90 days since prior monoclonal antibodies as monotherapy for patients who
were unresponsive to treatment (30 days for patients who responded to treatment and
subsequently relapsed)
- No other concurrent biological agents
- No concurrent hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., G-CSF or epoetin alfa)
Chemotherapy:
- More than 30 days since prior chemotherapy
- No concurrent chemotherapy
Endocrine therapy:
- More than 30 days since prior systemic corticosteroids
- No concurrent systemic corticosteroids
Radiotherapy:
- See Disease Characteristics
- More than 30 days since prior radiotherapy
- No concurrent radiotherapy
Surgery:
- Not specified
Other:
- Recovered from prior therapy
- At least 6 months since prior coronary angioplasty
- More than 30 days since prior immunosuppressants
- More than 30 days since prior participation in an investigational drug study
- No concurrent immunosuppressants
- No concurrent anticoagulants except aspirin at doses no greater than 325 mg/day
- No other concurrent anticancer therapy
- No other concurrent investigational agents