A Phase 1 clinical trial suggests that adding the targeted drug VIC-1911 to standard care after donor stem cell transplants may greatly improve outcomes for patients with blood cancers.
After a transplant, doctors must balance preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where donor immune cells attack the patient, while preserving the graft-versus-tumor effect that helps destroy cancer. Standard treatments to prevent GVHD can weaken this anti-cancer effect, increasing the risk of relapse.
In this study, VIC-1911 was combined with cyclophosphamide and sirolimus. One year after transplant, none of the patients experienced cancer relapse, compared with typical relapse rates of up to 22% with standard care. Severe acute GVHD was not observed, and chronic GVHD rates were low at 6%.
VIC-1911 works by blocking Aurora kinase A, a protein that helps cancer cells grow and resist treatment. By targeting this pathway, the therapy may both limit harmful immune reactions and strengthen the body’s ability to prevent cancer recurrence.
Lead researcher Shernan Holtan said the approach may offer a better balance between controlling GVHD and reducing relapse risk.