Ruxolitinib With Azacitidine Maintenance for the Treatment of Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Undergoing Reduced Intensity Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of ruxolitinib (Rux) therapy alone (monotherapy) followed by Rux plus azacitidine (AZA) maintenance therapy and to see how well it works in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are undergoing reduced intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). AlloHSCT provides the only chance for cure for many patients with AML. AlloHSCT is a procedure in which a person receives blood-forming stem cells (cells from which all blood cells develop) from a genetically similar, but not identical, donor. This is often a sister or brother, but could be an unrelated donor. One of the common reasons for death after an alloHSCT is graft versus host disease (GVHD), which occurs when the transplanted cells from the donor attacks the recipient's normal cells. Ruxolitinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works to treat GVHD by blocking the signals of the cells that cause GVHD. Azacitidine is in a class of medications called demethylation agents. It works by helping the bone marrow to produce normal blood cells and by killing abnormal cells in the bone marrow. Giving Rux after the transplant may stop GVHD from occurring. Maintenance therapy with AZA, may help prevent or delay cancer from coming back. Giving Rux monotherapy followed by Rux plus AZA maintenance therapy may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with AML who are undergoing alloHSCT.