Pilot Study to Determine Effects of the Btk Inhibitor PCI-32765 on Leukemia Cell Kinetics and Trafficking, Using Heavy Water Labeling in Subjects With CLL and SLL
CompletedPhase 1, PHASE2Results postedLast updated 24 February 2020
What this trial tests
Phase 1, PHASE2 trial testing Heavy Water (2H2O) in Leukemia in 30 participants. Completed in 9 August 2018.
18 and older, any sex, with Leukemia. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.
Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.
Change in Leukemia Cell DeathPrimary· every three months, up to one year
Stable isotopic labeling with deuterated water (2\^H2O) to measure directly the effects of PCI-32765 (ibrutinib) on leukemia cell death in the peripheral blood of participants .
Daily death rate of blood cells before therapy
Group
Value
95% CI
Heavy Water + PCI-32765
0.18
0.0 – 0.7
Daily death rate of blood cells after therapy
Group
Value
95% CI
Heavy Water + PCI-32765
1.5
0.0 – 3.0
Percentage of Recently Born Leukemia Cells Mobilized Into the Blood by PCI-32765 TreatmentSecondary· every three months, up to one year
Measurement of the fraction of recently born versus older leukemia cells in the peripheral blood of participants before and during PCI-32765 therapy, to determine the effects of PCI-32765 (ibrutinib) therapy on the birth rates of the leukemia cells.
Daily cell birth rate before therapy
Group
Value
95% CI
Heavy Water + PCI-32765
0.39
0.17 – 1.04
Daily cell birth rate during therapy
Group
Value
95% CI
Heavy Water + PCI-32765
0.05
0.0 – 0.36
Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Time frame: Monthly, for up to 1 year.
Reporting threshold: 5%.
Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.
Heavy Water + PCI-32765
Serious: 16/30 (53%)
Deaths: 3/30
Serious adverse events (15 terms)
Reaction
System
Heavy Water + PCI-32765
Atrial Fibrillation
Cardiac disorders
—
Pleural effusions
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
—
Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified
Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps)
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn how PCI-32765 (ibrutinib) may affect the life cycle of blood-cancer cells. Cancer cells will be "labeled" with heavy water to learn about their birth rates and death rates.
Ibrutinib is a type of drug called a kinase inhibitor. Kinases are proteins inside cells that help cells live and grow. The study drug is designed to inhibit or "block" the activity of a type of kinase that helps blood-cancer cells live and grow. By blocking the activity of this specific kinase, it is possible that the study drug may kill the cancer cells or stop them from growing.
Heavy water (2H2O) is a special type of water that is designed to help researchers learn how quickly cancer cells in the body reproduce.
Publications & conference data
7 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):
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NCT07148180 — A Multi-Site Break Through Cancer Trial: Targeting Measurable Residual Disease in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia:
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· recruiting
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Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Last refreshed: 24 February 2020
Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT01752426.