New cocktail of old drugs shows promise for tough blood cancers

NCT ID NCT01515527

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This Phase 2 trial tests whether combining cladribine, low-dose cytarabine, and decitabine can help control acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). About 160 older adults (60+) who haven't had prior intensive treatment will receive the drugs in cycles. The main goal is to see how long patients stay free of disease progression.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

cladribine, cytarabine, and decitabine

What this could lead to

If this works, it could offer a new combination therapy to help control acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, potentially improving disease-free survival.

What could go wrong

This is a Phase 2 study with only 160 participants, so results are preliminary. The drugs have known side effects, and the combination may not work better than existing treatments.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for LEUKEMIA are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

acute myeloid leukemia leukemia myelodysplastic syndrome Myelodysplastic Syndromes

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

    RECRUITING

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States