ALL09 SUBLIME Trial Improves Outcomes for Adult ALL
Leading Australian clinical trial researchers from ALLG have delivered a major treatment breakthrough that significantly improves survival, disease outcomes and quality of life for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
Led by Associate Professor Matthew Greenwood, results from the ALL09 SUBLIME trial demonstrated that replacing intensive chemotherapy treatment with a targeted immunotherapy drug called blinatumomab, which works by training the immune system to destroy leukaemia cells leads to higher remission rates, improved overall survival and reduced toxicity.
Addressing an Unmet Need in Adolescent & Young Adult Leukaemia
Adolescent and young adults (AYA) with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia experience distinct disease biology when compared to adult and paediatric patients. Unfortunately, AYA leukaemia patients also have markedly worse survival and relapse outcomes than adults and children with ALL. The ALL09 SUBLIME trial was specifically designed to address this high unmet clinical need by evaluating more effective and less toxic treatment approaches tailored to this age group.
The results of ALL09 SUBLIME clinical trial were recently published in the prestigious journal HemaSphere, supporting the global adaption of this less toxic treatment for AYA patients. Associate Professor Matthew Greenwood said that the findings represent an important step in treating young adults with leukaemia.
A/Prof Matthew Greenwood
“The results of the ALL09 SUBLIME study are very encouraging – substituting blinatumomab for standard chemotherapy not only cleared leukaemia more effectively but was also associated with excellent survival in young adults with B-cell ALL. These findings support further evaluation of immunotherapy-based approaches to improve long term outcomes for adolescent and young adult patients”
ALLG CEO Delaine Smith
“ALLG clinical trials focus not only on evaluating the effectiveness of new and innovative treatments, but also patients’ quality of life and cost-effectiveness of therapies.
“Our cooperative group is very proud to have delivered such an impactful clinical trial for young patients with leukaemia that will lead to much needed improvements in standard of care across Australia and globally.”
Advancing Australian Leukaemia Research & Next Steps
The ALL09 SUBLIME trial was a four-year, phase 2 trial conducted across 15 hospital sites in Australia. The trial tested a new treatment regimen in 55 patients aged 15 – 39 years old with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Researchers compared the effectiveness and toxicity of the new treatment against the previous chemotherapy-based treatment regimen, using minimal residual disease (MRD) testing to measure the depth of molecular disease remission and guide treatment, allowing for precise comparison of effectiveness and toxicity between treatment regimens.
Building on this success, ALLG researchers are now developing a new clinical trial to evaluate advanced diagnostic methods and next-generation targeted therapies. The goal is to further improve survival, minimise side-effects, and enhance quality of life for adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Funding & Collaborations
The ALL09 SUBLIME clinical trial was funded by Canteen Australia through the Australian Young Cancer Patients Clinical Trials Initiative, supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund. Research collaborators included the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), the Children’s Cancer Institute (CCIA) and Amgen.
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