Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is a serious condition that can happen after a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. The donor's immune cells attack the patient's body, causing inflammation, pain, and damage to organs like the skin, liver, or lungs. For patients with moderate to severe cGvHD who don't improve with or can't tolerate standard front line therapy with steroids, there's a significant unmet need. Steroid-refractory cGvHD is hard to treat, with limited effective options, often leading to ongoing symptoms and reduced quality of life.
This Phase II study tests a new treatment combining two oral drugs, ruxolitinib and belumosudil, for these patients. Both drugs have helped cGvHD individually, but this trial explores if they work better together. For the first 28 days (Cycle 1), patients take ruxolitinib (10 mg twice daily). From Cycle 2, they add belumosudil (200 mg once or twice daily, depending on other medications) for 48 weeks (12 cycles) unless their condition worsens or side effects become intolerable. Follow-up visits occur 30 days and 6 months after treatment ends to check health status.
The study is non-randomized (all get the same treatment) and open-label (patients and doctors know the drugs used). It aims to see if this combination better controls cGvHD in patients where steroids failed. This could offer hope for better symptom management and improved quality of life for those with limited treatment options.
18 years of age or older at the time of enrollment.
Has previously been diagnosed with moderate to severe cGvHD OR mild cGvHD with high-risk features (defined as platelet counts < 100 x 109/L at screening).
Capable of providing informed consent.
Lack of response or disease progression after prednisone ≥1 mg/kg/day for ≥1 week OR
Have never been treated with systemic steroids as first line therapy for cGvHD.
Receiving >0.5 mg/kg/day of prednisone or equivalent corticosteroids at the time of enrollment.
Has had prior treatment with a JAK inhibitor or ROCK2 inhibitor within 8 weeks of enrollment. Participants who received a JAK inhibitor for aGvHD are eligible only if they achieved CR or PR prior to screening.
Active uncontrolled bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or viral infection. Infections are considered controlled if appropriate therapy has been initiated and, at the time of screening, no signs of infection are present.