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Active, not recruitingNCT03352765Updated Dec 4, 2025

A Phase I Study of Bendamustine and Melphalan Conditioning and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Multiple Myeloma and Relapsed/Refractory B-cell Lymphoma in Elderly Patients

A Phase 1 interventional study of rituximab and bendamustine in Lymphoma, sponsored by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-04.

Sponsored by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
28
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
65 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

This study is testing a combination of chemo-immuno therapy called RBM. RBM consists of combination of drugs: rituximab, bendamustine, and melphalan followed by reinfusion of the participants own stem cells which is called autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Compared to the standard BEAM regimen, this RBM regimen may or may not be less effective in lymphoma, but will likely have fewer side effects.

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Conditions studied

  • Lymphoma

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Keywords

  • Rituximab
  • Bendamustine
  • Melphalan
  • Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT)
  • 17-373
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In context

Lymphoma

3,018 studies on the registry are indexed under Lymphoma; 434 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 28 is below the median of 43 across 2,319 interventional studies indexed under Lymphoma.

Browse Lymphoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the lead sponsor of 1,964 studies on the registry; 327 are open to participants now.

Of its 135 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 71 (53%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
65 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

Phase I eligibility:

  • Any patient with multiple myeloma B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma would be eligible for phase I portion of the study.

Dose expansion eligibility:

  • confirmed diagnosis of multiple myeloma or rel/ref DLBCL, or diffuse large B cell lymphoma transformed from an indolent lymphoma Since the endpoint of the Phase I portion is safety, any patient with myeloma or B-cell NHL can be enrolled. For dose expansion study patients with myeloma and B-NHL will be analyzed separately. The PFS endpoint varies greatly amongst different types of lymphoma. In order to accurately interpret the survival data as secondary endpoint, a homogeneous cohort of patients with DLBCL will be evaluated. DLBCL is the most aggressive B-NHL with limited options. Other B-NHL's are generally more indolent and have more options available to them.

Additional eligibility for both the phase I and dose expansion cohort:

  • Patients between the ages of 65 to 69 years old with a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) score of 3 or higher.
  • Any patient age 70 years old or older, irrespective of their Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) score.
  • ≥ 70
  • Males must agree to use an acceptable form of per institutional practices.
  • Complete or partial response to salvage chemotherapy by IWG Working Group Criteria
  • Cardiac of ≥ 45%
  • -adjusted diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) of ≥45%
  • of ≥50 mL/min
  • Completion of most recent salvage therapy within 8 weeks of enrollment
  • Direct ≤2.0 mg/dL in the absence of suspected Gilbert's disease (if Gilbert's disease is suspected, the total bilirubin must be ≤3.0 mg/dL), and ≤ 2.5 .

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • In Lymphoma: Disease progression by IWG Working Group Criteria since last therapy
  • Patients with history of CNS involvement
  • Prior autologous (only in lymphoma) or stem cell transplantation
  • Patients who have failed bendamustine-based regimen previously
  • Patients within 6 months of MI and stroke will be excluded
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(10)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

Karnofsky performance status (KPS)

A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.

Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)

The share of blood the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) pushes out with each beat, measured by an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a MUGA scan. About 50–70% is normal.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Allogeneic and autologous transplant

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants. Allogeneic uses cells from a donor; autologous uses your own cells, collected earlier and given back.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
28 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    rituximab, bendamustine & melphalan and ASCT

    This is a phase I study of rituximab, bendamustine and melphalan (RBM) conditioning followed by ASCT in elderly patients with B-cell NHL. Conditioning regimen consist of rituximab 375 mg/m2 on days -11 and -4, bendamustine 160 mg/m2 intravenously on days -3 and -2; melphalan 140 mg/m2 intravenously on day -1 before the reinfusion of autologous stem cells on day 0. The conditioning timeline can be modified if there are patient scheduling conflicts. Patients who are deemed inevaluable will be replaced for the primary objective. Patients will be considered inevaluable if they don't receive one dose of conditioning regimen and are removed from the study.

    Drug: rituximab · Drug: bendamustine · Drug: melphalan · Procedure: Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT)

Interventions

  • rituximab 375 mg/m2 on days -11 and -4, The second dose of rituximab (day -4) is administered 7 days after the first dose (day -11), +/- 1 day. Rituximab may be administered by a local oncologist. If the participant has a CD20 negative tumor, rituximab can be omitted from the conditioning regimen.

  • bendamustine 160 mg/m2 intravenously on days -3 and -2

  • melphalan 140 mg/m2 intravenously on day -1 before the reinfusion of autologous stem cells on day 0.

  • ProcedureAutologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT)

    reinfusion of autologous stem cells on day 0.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Dose limiting toxicities (DLT)

    are defined as grade \> 3, non-hematologic toxicity related to treatment excluding grade 3 nausea or vomiting responsive to anti-emetic treatment, grade 3 diarrhea responding to anti-diarrheal treatment, grade 3 fatigue, grade 3 skin rash responsive to topical or systemic steroids, grade 3 fevers (\> 40 degrees Celsius for \< 24 hours) and alopecia per CTCAE

    Time frame: 1 year

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Study locations

1 site
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References and documents

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 4, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03352765
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 24, 2017
Start date
Nov 20, 2017
Primary completion
Nov 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Nov 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 4, 2025

Study contacts

Parastoo Dahi, MD
principal investigator · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Dec 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Discussion

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Bendamustine · Melphalan

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